Just Friends
by HPfanonezillion
Summary: Single father Peeta agrees to let his daughter sign up for an outdoor day camp for the summer. What he didn't expect was to befriend the director Katniss, a single mother herself. And no matter what all their friends say, the pair are ONLY friends. Right?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: This idea came to me while watching Gilmore Girls. Yeah, you read that right. And maybe something I saw elsewhere. But I wanted to try to make this idea my own. Let me know what you think either here or on Tumblr (booksrockmyface)._

 _Happy reading!_

Just Friends

An Everlark AU

Chapter One

"Dad, can we talk?" Callie said as she came into the bakery.

Peeta looked up from the cake he was decorating. "Is it a girl thing? Like, should we call Annie?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "No." She pulled a piece of paper out if her pocket. "I want to learn archery."

"Archery?" He wiped frosting off his hands and took the paper. "Everdeen-Hawthorne Outdoor Day Camp." He read. "Why do you want to do this, Cal?"

"Because all my friends are. It's how they're spending their summer. It's all day, so I won't be here in your hair bored all day. And they don't just do archery. They do tracking and there's swimming and arts and crafts and all sorts of stuff."

"I think Finnick was talking about this." He looked over the flyer again.

"Finn's one of the people doing it. Please, Daddy?" She stuck out her lower lip and batted her eyes.

"Let me think about it."

She squealed. "I'm going to call Finn." She ran to the shop phone.

"Bakery phone for bakery business." He said.

"Five minutes, Dad?" She said.

He sighed. "I'm timing you." He tapped his watch and then washed his hands and went back to the cake.

"He said he'd think about it." She said happily. "He is? Then my dad will have to say yes." She looked to Peeta. "Dad, Finnick is doing swimming lessons and he's a lifeguard."

"Is Finnick there?" He asked, still concentrating on the swag of icing he was working on.

"Yes. Here." Callie pressed the phone to his ear and he kept working.

"Finnick?" He asked.

"The one and only." Finnick said. "Well, the older one, anyway. So your kid wants to go to the camp?"

"Yeah. Didn't you work at it last year?"

"I did. Every year since they started. Four years. Katniss and Gale do a good job with the kids. And they pick really good counselors. And it's fun. And I could bring her every day after signup so you don't have to worry about leaving the bakery at your busiest hour. But you have to be the one to sign her up and drop her off the first time. Then give them permission for me to bring her and stuff. They're really strict about that one. Katniss said her sister was at a camp that wasn't quite so good and they had a kid abducted. Freaked them all out."

"So you think it's a good idea?"

"Dude, I know you care about your daughter and you worry, but you need to let go of the apron strings just a little. And I'll be there. Annie even stops by quite a bit. So, no worries necessary. This is Finn's first year he can do it and he's pretty excited. They can stick together. I'll pull the necessary strings and get them put in the same groups."

Peeta sighed and looked at his daughter. He nodded. "Okay."

"Okay, I can do it?" Callie asked.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "She called on the bakery phone, so I need to clear the line. You guys are coming for supper, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Finnick said. "Talk to you later."

Peeta nodded toward the phone cradle and watched as his daughter hung it up. "Listen, Cal, this is the first big thing you get to do that isn't school-related, so I expect you to know what's accepted and what isn't. Okay?"

"I promise, Daddy." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to the house."

"Will you get the hamburger out of the freezer? I'm making lasagna tonight."

"Sure thing." She practically skipped out the door.

Peeta watched her a moment and shook his head. _So much like her mother._

* * *

Katniss crouched behind her son and adjusted his stance and hold on his bow. She stepped back and said, "Let 'er rip, kid."

Caleb let the arrow go. It hit the target and fell to the floor just like all the rest he'd shot that day. He groaned and dropped the bow. "I'm bad at this, Mama."

"You're not bad, baby, you just have to keep practicing. I wasn't good at first either. But your grandfather made me practice every day until I got better." She tapped him on the nose. "Try again."

Caleb turned to the target once more and took aim with the arrow his mother handed him. He looked over his shoulder at his mother and she adjusted his stance and hold once more before stepping back. He let the arrow go and it stuck in the outer edge of the target. He turned with a smile. "I did it!"

She lifted him up and spun him around. "You did!" She sat him down with a laugh. "Now, do it again."

He took his stance once more and waited for Katniss to fix any error in his posture. But she patted his back. He pulled the string back on the bow and let the arrow fly. It stuck in the opposite end of the target. He turned his radiant smile up to her and waited for her approval.

She chuckled. "One more and we'll call it a night." She ruffled Caleb's hair.

He picked up another arrow, took aim, and fired. It knocked the first arrow out of the target and both fell to the floor. He groaned again and looked up at his mother. "I suck, Mom."

"You do not suck." She stooped down in front of him. "You're six. And you just started learning. You need practice. Uncle Gale and I will work with you this summer at camp."

"None of my friends will be there." He complained.

"I know. But we're not allowed to have anyone under nine." She tapped his nose. "You're lucky, though. Do you know why?"

"Because I'm your son."

She lifted him up into her arms and spun him around. "You are. And I love you heaps and bunches." She kissed his cheek and put him down. "Let's go celebrate getting your first arrows in the target." She gave him a conspiratorial grin. "Ice cream for dinner?"

"Is it ice cream for dinner because you want to celebrate or because you don't feel like cooking?" He asked seriously.

"A little of both." She started gathering the arrows. "Plus, I'm the adult and I make the money and I get to say what we have for dinner." She held out her hand to him as she walked past. He grabbed hers and they walked out the door of the range together. Katniss paused to lock the door and then swung her son up onto her back and galloped with him to her car.

"Mama, will you tell me about my dad today?" Caleb asked as she sat him down to unlock the car.

She fumbled with her keys a moment until she found the right one. "His name is Cato. He wasn't very nice to me. I think he loved you once, but he never fought for you when we moved it with Aunt Prim and Uncle Gale. When you're older, if you want to try to meet him, I'll help you because he's your dad."

"Did you love him, Mom?" He climbed into the car.

"I did at first." She pulled the seatbelt down for him and let him buckle up. "But then he got mean."

Caleb was silent as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Does it make you sad?" Katniss asked.

He nodded.

"It makes me sad, too." She kissed his cheek. "Let's get some ice cream." Her phone rang as she slid behind the wheel. She fed it through the Bluetooth in the car and headed out. "Hello?"

"Hey, Catnip, what are you doing?" Gale asked.

"We're going for ice cream!" Caleb said from the back seat.

"Ice cream, huh? Have you had dinner yet?" Gale asked.

Katniss said, "No, we're just having ice cream for dinner. Caleb got _two_ arrows in the target today and we decided it was cause for celebration."

"Right on!" Gale chuckled. "Want some pizza before the ice cream? Prim and I were about to order one and we decided we'd see if you guys wanted to join in."

"What do you think, Caleb?" Katniss asked.

"Pizza sounds awesome!" The boy said.

Katniss chuckled. "Okay, we'll be right over." She hung up and pointed her car toward her sister's house.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: I am floored by all the attention this is getting. Thank you so much for following, favoriting, and reviewing after you read. And thank you for just reading. I love seeing the numbers grow. You are definitely welcome to share this story with your friends. And you can get exclusive sneak peaks and previews on Tumblr if you follow me (booksrockmyface). I sometimes post musings on writing there as well as share stuff._

 _This one is definitely longer, as someone hoped. My chapter word count varies depending on the subject of the chapters. Some will be long and others short. My goal is at least 1300 words a chapter and that increases if I write something that needs more descriptions (like love scenes)._

 _Anyway, please let me know what you think and keep the love coming!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Two

"Okay, Caleb, I need you to stay where I can see you today. Can you do that?" Katniss asked as she finished fixing her son's shoelace. "At least for the first little bit."

"Yes, Mama." Caleb said. He yawned. "I'm sleepy."

"I know, baby, but we have to be somewhere." She turned and slipped on her own shoes.

"Will camp be fun?" He followed her around the house as she gathered all her things and turned out the lights.

"It will be. I'll make sure of it." She picked up his backpack. "Your game and some coloring books and books to read and plenty of crayons and pencils. When you're not practicing, you'll have plenty of things to occupy your time." She helped him put on the straps and then picked up her own bags. "We're late. Let's get going."

They seemed to hit every red light and then an accident. They made it to the camp as the kids started arriving. She was glad for the staff meeting the day before and that Gale took over most of the time with them. He understood she couldn't always get Caleb on the move as easily as herself. It was a trait he'd inherited from his father.

She helped him out and was accosted by Finn. "Hi, Katniss!"

She smiled and ruffled his chestnut tresses. "Hey, Finn. Are you excited to be joining us this year?"

"Yes. Dad said I could help with swim lessons when my group is up for that round."

"Good. I'm sure Caleb will be helping in archery soon enough." She smoothed a hand over her son's hair. "Can you say hi to Finn, Caleb?"

"Hi, Finn." He said with a big grin.

"Hey, Caleb." Finn said back.

Finnick walked over with a blonde man and a girl with brown hair. "Katniss, this is my friend Peeta and his daughter Callie. I talked with you about them yesterday."

Callie and Finn did an elaborate greeting with high fives and snaps and handshakes.

"Good to see you." Finn said.

"You too." Callie chuckled.

"This is Katniss." Finn said. "She's really cool. And she can hit a bullseye without looking."

Katniss laughed. "I'm not that good. But Gale did attempt to blindfold me and let me shoot and I almost hit him. So we don't try that trick anymore."

Peeta held out his hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Cal is excited and I'm sure she'll have plenty to tell me this afternoon." He shook Finnick's hand after Katniss's. "Got to get back to the bakery. I have a wedding cake to put some final touches on."

"You work at a bakery?" Katniss asked.

"I own one." He said proudly.

She nodded. "I may have some work for you, then. If you're interested. We like to do a big bash at the end of the summer. The last place we went through the last few years was cheap, but you get what you pay for. Finnick has failed to mention he knew the owner of a bakery."

"Oh, sure." He fished in his pocket and produced his wallet. "Here's my card, so you don't have to leaf through all the intake forms."

She took it. "Thanks. I'll probably call in a couple weeks to get it set up. Finnick is taking care of drop-off and pick-up for you, right?"

"Right." He looked at his watch. "I really have to get back." He squeezed his daughter's shoulder. "See you this afternoon, sweetie."

Callie looked around and then threw her arms around her father's waist. "I love you, Dad."

He kissed the top of her head and stepped away. "Love you too, kiddo." He waved to everyone else and headed toward his car.

Katniss clapped Callie on the shoulder. "Ready to get going?"

The girl nodded. Together the little group headed into the main building where they held the archery lessons and competitions.

Caleb ran ahead and threw himself at Gale who stood just inside the door greeting everyone as they entered. "Uncle Gale!" He exclaimed.

"Caleb!" Gale chuckled and put Caleb up on his shoulders. He walked toward the gathered crowd of children. The youngest among them were nine and the oldest were seventeen. Some of their older kids had been training with Katniss and Gale since before they had formed the camp four years before.

A young woman with dark skin trotted over and smiled up at Caleb. "Hey, you, look how big you are!"

"Rue!" He threw himself into the girl's waiting arms and buried his face in her curly hair. "You're back!"

She laughed. "I'm surprised you remember me."

"It was only last summer. Of course I remember you. Mama didn't trust anyone else with me." He grinned.

She squeezed him and then sat him down. "Well, I'm back at the hiking and tracking courses. If your mom lets you, you can stick with me a bit again this year."

Katniss ruffled his hair. "I think we can arrange that."

"Hi, Katniss." Rue said. "Sorry I couldn't make it to the meeting yesterday. I got in pretty late."

"I'm sure Gale filled you in this morning." Katniss turned to her friend. "I am so sorry we were late. Caleb couldn't find his shoes and then I had a giant stain on the shirt I picked out for today that I didn't notice until after we ate breakfast and then we hit all the stoplights and an accident and then _just_ got here."

"No big deal. The crew knows what's up. And I already have Prim separating the kids into their groups. Annie is here to help with that."

"Fantastic. So just a few more minutes for the drop-offs and paperwork and we'll get this show on the road." Katniss leaned down in front of her son. "Okay, where do you want to go?"

"If I stay with you, will I be able to shoot a few arrows?"

"Maybe in between sessions. But first day is learning about the parts of the bow and the arrow."

He thought for a moment and then said, "I'll stay with you today, Mama. You're always nervous the first day."

She chuckled and kissed his forehead and then walked to the table where her sister was leafing through papers. "Did you guys remember to put that Callie girl with Finn?"

"Yes, we did." Annie said from down the table. "We almost have this all settled."

"Okay, I'm going to work on introductions." She walked back to where her friends were gathered. "Hey, everyone, can I get your attention?"

The kids started quieting down.

"Hi, I'm Katniss. This guy to my right is Gale. We run the archery lessons in here. The dude on my left is Finnick. He handles swimming lessons and supervises the pool." She walked behind Gale and down the line. "The rest of these people are counselors. You will get to know the ones who are assigned to your group. The others will be around to help if you get turned around or have questions or anything." She rattled off a series of names, knowing most of them wouldn't be remembered right away. She stopped behind her son. "And this little guy is Caleb. He's my son. He'll be hanging around various places. He's a good kid. In three years, he'll be kicking your butts in the archery competitions."

There was a smattering of laughter.

"Anyway, we will break you into groups soon and rotate. Three groups at archery, three in tracking, and two at the pool. Who you are grouped with will never change, but the groupings will rotate. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. A, B, C will start in here, D, E, F in tracking, and G and H at the pool. Tomorrow it will start A, D, G in here, B, E, H tracking, and F and G at the pool. The next day you'll rotate where you start again. Each set of groups rotate every hour in the morning until everyone has been in each station. We break for lunch and then we have a choice of the pool or hiking or crafts for the rest of the afternoon. We have a limit to the number in the pool, so be mindful of that. I do have a few advanced students who will work on archery in the afternoon and you are also welcome to come in here and watch the practice as long as you have cleared it with your counselor and stay out of our way." She smiled. "I know that's a lot of information, but all the people here will answer any questions you may have." She turned to Prim and Annie. "My sister Prim will announce the groups and we will post them on a wall in case you forget tomorrow where you have been assigned."

She gave Prim the floor to call out names. The counselors of each group moved around the room to gather their kids. Katniss took a bottle of water from Caleb. He looked up at her and smiled. She tapped his nose and took a sip.

Katniss spent the morning on autopilot. She could recite the parts of the bow and arrow in her sleep. Caleb even spoke up in the last group. He'd heard this the last couple of years.

At lunch, Caleb climbed up beside Katniss and promptly spilled his glass of water. His mother sighed and sopped up the water. "Good thing you're swimming next."

"I am?" He asked as he took a bite.

"Yep." She smiled. "Finnick and Annie are going to keep an eye on you. Unless you want to watch my advanced archers."

"I want to swim."

"Then you will swim." She ruffled his hair. "Be careful. And when I come to get you out, you don't fight or I won't let you swim for the rest of the week."

"Yes, ma'am."

After they ate, Katniss sent Caleb off with Annie and returned to the main building. The first of her advanced students arrived and she immersed herself in correcting stances and holds and drilling until a timer went off. She sent the first group away and welcomed the next few students and started the process over again.

She was glad for the end of the day. She and Caleb went home and she put a couple frozen dinners in the oven. She turned on the TV and sat her son in front of it so she could shower off the muck of the day. They ate in front of the TV in silence like they usually did.

Then Caleb got in the bath and got in bed. He watched Katniss a moment as she turned on his nightlight and off the overhead light and then said, "Will you ever get married again?"

She slid into the bed beside him. She combed her fingers through his hair. "You're the most important guy in my life, Caleb."

"But will you ever get married?"

She chuckled. "I don't know. It all depends."

"On what?" He asked.

"On…finding a guy that I like. Finding a guy that likes me. Finding a guy that likes you." She kissed his forehead. "That last one is the most important. Because you're my guy, Caleb. It's just us."

He yawned. "I want you happy, Mama."

She chuckled. "I _am_ happy, baby. Being your mother makes me very happy. Now, get to sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

Caleb nodded and rolled over. He was asleep just a few minutes later.

Katniss kissed him once more and then went to her own room. And as she got ready for bed, she realized she was lonely. She hadn't been lying when she told her son she was happy, but lonely still happened when you were happy. She had never had a man just hold her at night. Not that she liked it most of the time, she liked her space. But the thought of having the option was what she wanted.

She got in her big, empty bed and wrapped her body around the pillow. Sleep took a long time, like it usually did. And the nightmares came, like they usually did. She woke up gasping and prayed her son didn't hear. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but it didn't happen for hours and she eventually gave up. She settled on the couch to watch an infomercial. That's where sleep finally found her.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: So happy with all the attention and love this is getting. I am very grateful! A little more back story here. Let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Three

"So how was it?" Peeta asked as he slid a pan out of the oven.

Callie said, "It was awesome! I learned all about the parts of the bow. There are so many different kinds. Parts _and_ bows. We're using a very basic one to learn, but the kids that have been going longer and taking lessons through the year get more complex ones. Did you know Katniss and Gale coach archery the rest of the year? They even have some Olympic hopefuls."

Peeta chuckled and spooned some chicken casserole onto her plate. "So you think you'll like it?" He handed her a bowl of roasted potatoes to add to her plate as he filled his own.

"I think so. Finn says Katniss is really awesome." She paused. "She's a single parent like you."

"Oh, yeah? Her kid go to the camp?"

"Her son is only six, so he can't officially participate, but he's there. He's really adorable." She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully for a moment and then said, "Did you think Katniss was pretty?"

He nearly choked on his mouthful of food. He took a sip of water. Callie had been doing that a lot lately. "I guess she was pretty." His voice was raspy. He sipped more water.

Callie pushed her food around on her plate. "Is it because you still love Mom? Why you never had a girlfriend or got married after I was born?"

Peeta took a moment to think about her observation. "I've gone on a few dates over the years, Cal. I'm not a complete loser. I did care a lot about your mom. But I inherited the bakery when you were still just a baby and between you and that, I haven't had a whole lot of time."

"So I'm a burden?"

He put his hand on top of hers. "Definitely not. Not at all." He sat back. "When I mention to women that I have a daughter, they get scared and they don't want to go on more dates with me."

"So it's my fault?"

"I didn't say that."

"So what is it?" She demanded. "Why are you single?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, sweetie. Women who don't have kids don't want an instant family."

"What about Katniss? She already has a son. So she won't be scared away. You should ask her to dinner or something."

He chuckled. "I barely met Katniss."

"But she's a woman that already has a kid. She'd be perfect!"

He shook his head. "I'm done talking about why I'm single. Tell me more about your day."

Peeta listened while Callie told him every moment of her day from the moment he left until she was back in the door. She took second helpings and continued talking.

They worked together to put the dishes away while Peeta told his daughter about his day. They had been busy. Summer was a big season for weddings, so there was at least one wedding cake a day to be decorated along with all the breads, rolls, cookies, pies, cakes, and various other pastries people came in the shop for daily.

"No wonder you're single, Daddy." Callie said.

Peeta chuckled. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a workaholic. You should cut down on that a bit so you can actually get a girl."

He gave her shoulder a playful shove. "I'll date if the right woman comes along. But that isn't today. Do you have a show you want to watch?"

She shook her head. "Everything's on break for the summer. I think I'll go to my room and read for a while." She hugged him and then wandered off.

He walked into the small room in the back that housed the washer and dryer and his painting supplies. He put a load in the washer and then moved to his easel. He took away the cloth that covered it and stared at the face of his late wife Alexandrea. Her hair was red and her face had a sort of foxy look to it. He had been working on it for a long time for Callie. He knew it was time to move on, but he couldn't make himself. There had been no one like her.

"I don't look much like her." Callie said from the doorway.

He turned and smiled. "You look a little like her." He pointed to her nose. "Same nose. But you got a lot of me in the looks department. The personality is hers, though. Resourceful and a little perky. Positive thinker. But very thoughtful and observant." He tapped her nose again. "This was going to be your birthday present."

"My birthday was two months ago." She pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I wanted it to be perfect. So now it's your whenever-I'm-done present."

"I didn't inherit any of your artistic ability." Callie said, a little bummed.

Peeta shrugged. "You got plenty of everything else." He kissed her forehead. "Want to watch me paint for a while?"

"Yes, please."

He handed over a box of supplies. "Too cramped in here. Let's move to the living room." He picked up the easel and followed her out the door.

She sat his box of paints and brushes on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch.

He got to work painting. He concentrated on the mouth this time. Alexandrea's smile was always a little like Mona Lisa's, except when he made her laugh. He had loved to make her laugh. The trill of it was one of the things their daughter had inherited. He didn't fully realize just how much he missed her sometimes.

He finished and turned to ask Callie what she thought, but she was fast asleep, curled into a ball. He smiled and shook his head. He walked to her room and got her blanket off her bed and put it over her. He kissed her temple and whispered, "Goodnight, Cal."

"'Night, Dad." She mumbled and turned over.

Peeta got into bed much later than normal. Sometimes his painting took all his attention and he lost track of the evening. Three came early in the morning, but it was worth it to lose a little sleep doing something for his daughter and for himself.

He stared up at the ceiling and contemplated the conversation with his daughter. The truth was Finnick had mentioned Katniss to him a few different times, but he always turned his friend down. Peeta didn't like set-ups and he didn't want to even attempt getting involved with a woman. Some days he still missed his wife so much it hurt and others he hated not having someone to share his parenting frustrations with. And he just wanted Callie to have someone to look up to. Mostly, he wanted that to be him.

He finally closed his eyes and sleep found him quickly. He slept like a log until his alarm went off, which was a miracle because he often dreamed about Alexandrea and Callie and losing them both. As hard as losing his wife had been before, losing her again in his dreams every night was even more painful. Especially when Callie was taken away, too.

Peeta quickly showered and dressed and made his way to the bakery. He was in the middle of mixing a batch of dough for cheese buns—his best seller—when his first employees started arriving. He started calling out tasks as he poured the dough out onto the counter to knead it for a few minutes and add the last of the flour. He could use the mixer for this purpose, but he much preferred to get his hands dirty, so to speak.

Callie came in and helped for a while. She usually did most mornings before school. On holidays and breaks he often kicked her out to go back to sleep.

"You ready for the day?" Peeta asked.

She nodded. "I think we get to try shooting the arrows today."

"Great. Just be careful."

"I know, Dad. That's something Katniss kept saying over and over yesterday. She said if we weren't careful, we wouldn't get to shoot again until we write an essay about why safety is important."

"That's good to know." He pulled a batch of cheese buns out of the oven and put another in.

"There's a big showcase at the end of the summer to show off all we've learned. Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"I know I'll be able to. I can entrust some of this business to these guys for a while. I think, anyway." He smiled. He looked up at the clock. "I need to check on the front. You need to clean the flour off your shirt. Finnick will be here soon to get you."

"Yes, Dad." She made her way to the bathroom as he moved on to the front with the tray of cheese buns. He slid them into the case and helped a few customers with their morning orders.

Callie came in from the back as Finnick and Finn came through the front door. She greeted Finn with their elaborate handshake and then waved at Finnick.

Peeta walked around the counter. "Hey, you two."

Finnick clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, man. Could we get some assorted goodies for the counselors?"

"Sure. Just took some cheese buns out of the oven." He walked around the back of the counter. "And I have a few croissants left from the morning rush." He filled a box and sat it on top of the counter. "Add it to your tab?" He asked with a sideways grin.

Finnick chuckled and passed a card across the counter. "Paid in full."

"Daddy, can Finn and I have a couple cream-filled?" Callie asked.

Peeta nodded as he worked on Finnick's transaction.

She got behind the counter and washed her hands before helping herself to a couple of the donuts. She walked back around and handed one to Finn.

Finnick asked, "Did you put that on my bill?"

"That one's on the house." Peeta said with a smile. "Hey, Cal, remember to apply your sunblock regularly.

"Yes, Dad." She met him at the end of the counter.

He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She stepped away. "I'll tell you all about today. Can we have grilled steaks for supper?"

"We'll see." He waved them off and then leaned against the counter and waited for the next customer.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: I planned on having this done a couple days ago, but I ended up not having the time. And then I added some stuff to the end. So it became super long._

 _I want to thank you for all the love! The reading, following, favoriting, and reviews all make me smile. If you ever have any questions or concerns or suggestions, feel free to ask them here or over on Tumblr at booksrockmyface. You might get a quicker response on Tumblr._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Four

The first week passed and Katniss was exhausted. But she enjoyed the camp. Her main passion was seeing people learn her trade, even if they never became very good at it, as long as they tried and had fun, she was happy.

"Hey!" Finnick called as he jogged up to her. "Katniss, hey!"

She looked up from locking up the arrows for the weekend. "What's up?"

"Annie wants to have a little get-together this weekend. She asked me to invite you and Caleb. And no excuses this time."

"What does that mean?" She asked defensively.

"It means that every time Annie and I try to invite you and Caleb over, you always come up with a reason you can't."

"Because after I met Peeta the other day, I remembered you telling me once you had a really good friend who was also a single parent. And if he really is a good friend of yours, then I can safely assume he has also been at your gatherings and I don't do set-ups, Finnick. I did once and it got me in a world of trouble."

He watched her a moment and then nodded. "I promise that I won't ever try to force you and Peeta together. And I invited Gale who said he and Prim will be coming. So, you see, you really have no excuse."

She thought for several seconds as she gathered the last of the bows. "I just don't want Caleb to get attached—"

He held up his hand. "Look, I know what led to this. I know what you've told me about your ex. It was a shitty thing he did—"

"It's more than shitty, Finnick."

"I know. You know from me and from Gale that not every man is going to use you and hurt you. And I'll be damned if I ever allow anyone to get near Caleb that is a bad influence. Peeta just needs friends that understand. Annie and I have each other to lean on when Finn is being difficult. And he usually begs Annie to have all the uncomfortable talks with Callie."

"We'll be there. But if you all leave me alone with him or sitting beside him on purpose, I will shoot an arrow through your foot from here to where you sit on the lifeguard stand."

He chuckled. "Promise. Not set up."

"So when? Do I need to bring anything?"

"We're doing hot dogs and burgers on the grill. Annie is doing a couple different salads. Peeta's bringing some cookies and stuff. Gale and Prim said something about chips and buns. So, I guess that leaves drinks?"

"I can do drinks." She said.

"We'll eat around five, so you can show up around four or so."

"Okay." She sighed. "Socializing."

"Don't say that like it's a bad word." Finnick chuckled.

Katniss laughed. "Well, I have no tolerance for it most of the time."

"You'll be fine."

Caleb came running in. "Mama, Uncle Gale says I can stay the night with them if you say it's okay."

Katniss picked him up and swung him around. "But what will _I_ do without you all night?" She kissed his cheek and sat him down.

"You can have some alone time." Caleb suggested. "Take a bubble bath and paint your nails."

She chuckled and combed her fingers through her son's hair. "Maybe. Or I'll go to bed early because I won't have _someone_ keeping me awake with, 'One more story, Mom?'" She tickled him.

He laughed with a fun, high, childish laugh and begged her to stop. She did and kneeled in front of him. "Okay, you and Uncle Gale and Aunt Prim have fun and don't get on their nerves."

Gale chuckled. "He'll be all right. Take yourself out to dinner or something, Catnip. You need it." He rested his hand on top of Caleb's head.

Finnick said, "She agreed to come to the cook-out."

"Good." Gale nodded. "You'll have fun. And Finnick and Annie have a pool." He ruffled Caleb's hair.

"Mama, will you pack my trunks?"

"I will. As long as Finnick is planning on letting you use the pool."

"Sure." Finnick said with a smile. "You can show off some of those things I've been teaching you."

Caleb beamed.

"Let's get you packed and then I'll drop you off with Uncle Gale and Aunt Prim." Katniss said. She led them out of the building and locked it up.

Katniss packed a bag for Caleb and then dropped him at Prim and Gale's house. She stayed long enough to warn them not to spoil him too much and to try not to sleep too late. Then she drove to the next block and walked into her favorite bar. She didn't drink much, but when she did, she came to this place. She walked up to the bar and smiled at Haymitch as he mixed a drink behind the counter.

"Whiskey and coke?" He asked.

She chuckled. "It's been, like, three months since I've been here. How do you remember my order?"

He chuckled. "I never forget a pretty face." He poured the drink he was shaking and then mixed up Katniss's order. "Just enough whiskey for the taste and just enough ice to make it cool. But mostly coke." Haymitch winked and passed it over.

"Thanks." She took a sip and gave him a thumbs-up. "Perfect."

"Good. So who has the kid tonight?"

"My sister and her husband. And I am going to be bored out of my mind all night." She laughed and took a sip of her drink.

"Well, you can hang out here tonight. It'll pick up in a few hours."

She shook her head. "I think I'll head out after this one. I was just in the neighborhood."

"Well, sweetheart, you know where to find me." He walked away and helped another patron with an order.

Katniss stuck around until her drink was gone and then she paid and got up to leave.

"Sure you can't stay? We're doing half price wings tonight." Haymitch chuckled. She knew he hated plugging the deals.

She laughed. "Sorry, I need to eat real food. The last time I ate those wings, I got sick."

He put up his hands. "That was not my doing. I only follow the script."

"You hate the script."

"I have no other choice." He shrugged. "Anyway, I hope I see you sooner than three months. When you're in a talking mood, you're my favorite customer."

She grinned and passed several bills across the table. "Here's hoping you don't get puked on tonight." She winked and left the bar.

At home, she settled in with popcorn for dinner and a cheesy movie she never would have watched with Caleb. One of those romantic ones they make just for TV that always ended with a wedding or some big proclamation of love between the two main characters.

She fell asleep on the couch and woke up flailing from a nightmare. In most of them she was trying to fight off Cato. In others, she was just running. Often she had Caleb in her arms and she dropped him or tripped and they weren't able to get away before she awoke.

This was one of the fighting dreams. She stood on shaky feet and made her way to bed. It took her a long time to be able to get back to sleep. She had another fighting dream and gave up sleeping the second time. Thankfully, the sun was already on the horizon, so it wouldn't be much longer until she was with Caleb again. She made a cup of tea and settled in to watch the morning news.

* * *

"Katniss!" Callie called. She ran over and gave the woman a hug.

Peeta smiled when he saw her and made his way after his daughter. "Hi." He held out his hand. "I just want to thank you. Callie has come home every night with a smile on her face, so full of excitement. I've never seen her so ready to learn and experience anything."

Katniss gave him a grateful smile and returned his handshake. "She is a pleasure to work with. She's very interested. Some of the kids are just there because it's the only option their parents have, some are there for their friends, and some are there because they truly want to be there."

"Well, thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

A little boy patted her side and she looked down. "Mama, Finnick said I could make a s'more if you said I could."

"Is someone there to help or do you need me?" She asked softly.

"Finn said he'd do it."

"Well, Finn needs to worry about his own. I'll come help." She looked up and smiled at Peeta. "This is my son Caleb." She smoothed a hand over the boy's hair. "Caleb, this is Callie's dad Peeta."

"Hi, Caleb." Peeta held out a hand.

Caleb shook it. "Hi, Peeta." He looked seriously between the two and then wandered off toward the fire.

"Wonder what that was about." Peeta said. He looked around and was about to ask where Callie had gone when he spotted her with the rest. She must have slipped off.

"He's started asking why I'm single." Katniss said as they joined the rest. "And when he sees men outside our normal group talking to me, I think he kind of wonders. And I know he loves his Uncle Gale and all the men in his life, but he wants a dad like all his friends."

"I go through the same with Cal at least once a year." They all chose sticks and Katniss stuck a marshmallow on the end of Caleb's before putting one on her own.

"I've never been someone that needed another person. And my son is the most important person in my life. If I ever decided to date again, it would have to be a pretty special guy. I'm not just going to jump into anything for the sake of having someone my son can call 'Dad.' You know what I mean?"

He nodded. "I do. It's a very big job to have an instant family. When women find out I have a kid, they usually make excuses and then block my number." He chuckled. "And I've definitely come to peace with it."

"Me too." She lifted her marshmallow out of the fire and blew the flames out.

Caleb did the same and smiled proudly with his charred sugary confection. "Now for chocolate."

Katniss followed him. "I don't know. How much chocolate did you have with Uncle Gale last night?"

"I didn't have any chocolate with Uncle Gale." He gave her a wicked smile. "But I had a ton with Aunt Prim."

Katniss laughed and helped assemble her son's s'more. "Just that one until Finnick has hot dogs and stuff ready, okay? I don't want you filling up on junk."

"Yes, Mama." He said around a big, gooey bite. "Can I go play with Finn and Callie?"

"Sure. Just don't be rude."

"I won't." He meandered off in the direction they took. A frisbee was produced. Finn and Callie were good, Caleb not so much. But the older two were tolerant and took turns showing him how to do it.

"So, now that we've established we don't want to date," Peeta said, "can we acknowledge that my best friend has tried to set us up?"

Katniss chuckled. "I told him I would not appreciate being left alone with you on purpose."

"I told him pretty much the same thing. But, um..." He scratched his neck. "I could use a friend who understands. What do you say?"

She smiled and nodded. "I agree."

They joined the other adults. Prim and Gale were having an argument when they walked over, but both were smiling, so it wasn't a serious one.

"And I said not for another year." Gale finished.

"What's going on?" Katniss asked.

Prim sighed. "Tell your friend it's time we had a baby."

Katniss put up her hands. "Not my business. I think I need a coke." She reached down into a cooler and produced a can. "Want anything, Peeta?"

"I'm good for now, thanks." He smiled.

"All I'm saying," Prim continued, "is that you aren't getting any younger."

"Gee, thanks." Gale said.

"No, listen, I think it's perfect timing. I can defer med school for a year, have the baby, then go right back. If we wait another year, we might as well wait three more."

Gale chuckled. "You Everdeens never quit."

"I'm a Hawthorne now." Prim poked his chest. "So you better deal with it."

"We'll talk about it when we get home."

"Fine." She turned and held out a hand to Peeta. "I've seen you around, but we've never been formally introduced. I'm Prim, Katniss's sister. And this Neanderthal here is my husband Gale."

"I'm not a Neanderthal." He argued.

"Definitely not a feminist." Prim said.

"Okay." Katniss put up her hands. "Heading toward actual argument here. How about we keep it civil?"

"Sorry." Prim slipped her hand into Gale's.

The pair shared a kiss. They'd only been married a few months as were definitely still in the honeymoon stage.

Peeta shook both their hands. "Callie has been going on and on about you, Gale. Very impressed with you and Katniss both."

Gale smiled, "She's made a lot of progress this week."

"I can't wait to see." Peeta said proudly.

Callie and Finn came over with Caleb on their heels. Katniss wrapped her arms around him and pulled him onto her lap. She whispered something in his ear and he nodded just before he started giggling from her tickles.

"Daddy, Finnick said we could swim, but we had to ask you if it was okay first." Callie said.

"Sure thing, kid." He tapped her nose.

"Can I, Mama? I'll stay in the shallow end." Caleb asked.

Katniss nodded. "Fine by me. Just be careful."

"Will you put your feet in?" He asked timidly.

"Sure. My feet could use a soak." She sat him on the deck so he could hurry inside after the older two. She smiled at Peeta. "Callie can tell him to buzz off if she needs to."

Peeta shrugged. "He's fine. She's been talking about him just as much as the rest of you."

The kids all came out changed and ready to swim. Finnick unlocked the gate into the pool just outside the deck. He pulled away part of the fence and sat it off to the side to that they could still watch the kids and not be too far away from a rescue just in case. The kids got in and Katniss sat with her feet in the water. She watched Caleb swim from one side of the pool to the other. He watched the older two roughhousing in the deeper part of the pool. He walked to the deepest part he could stand in.

"Not any farther, Caleb." Katniss said.

"Okay, Mama." He backed up a little and went back to his swimming back and forth.

Annie and Peeta sat down with her.

Peeta said, "I have a massive cake to make this week."

Annie chuckled. "Isn't that all the time?"

He smiled. "This one is intense. The bride is one of the worst bridezillas I have ever encountered and I know if I make even the tiniest mistake, I am screwed."

Katniss asked, "Is it a big wedding?"

"The cake is about five feet tall. Around a thousand guests, I think they said."

Katniss stared agape. "That's crazy. The only people at my wedding were me, him, Prim and Gale, and his mother. And the preacher. We got our cake from a grocery store cooler."

Peeta made a sympathetic face. "That's very unfortunate. I mean, those cakes taste good enough, but that's no way to celebrate a marriage."

"There probably shouldn't have been much of a celebration." She said softly.

"Come eat something." Finnick called.

They gathered around and made plates and sat around talking. Caleb ate an entire plate and asked for seconds and then went back to the pool. Katniss fretted, but Finnick assured her he would keep an eye on him and joined him.

Peeta took off his shoes and shirt and sat his phone on top of the pile before he ran toward the edge. "Cannonball!" He yelled and splashed into the deep end.

The two men wrestled for a few minutes in the water while the children cheered him on.

Katniss sat with the others and leaned forward anxiously when Caleb, holding onto the side of the pool, moved closer to them. Then Finnick wrapped a protective arm around him and encouraged Caleb to swim a little away from the wall. Katniss relaxed. She knew he was in good hands.

"I have an idea!" Prim said after a while. "I mean, this is me speaking as an aunt and not a mom, but what if everyone chips in for a babysitter and all us adults go do something one evening? Like dinner at a place without a kids menu."

Katniss laughed. "That actually sounds refreshing."

Annie nodded. "It would be the last chance we get for a while."

Finnick winked and smiled proudly. "Yeah. We should do it."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Peeta asked.

"Sure does." Finnick said.

Congratulations were given and then Caleb asked, "What's going on, Mama? Why is everyone so happy?"

Finn grumbled and got out of the pool. "Not everyone."

Katniss patted the older boy's back. She told her son, "Finn is going to be a big brother. It's a great responsibility."

Caleb got out and walked over to Katniss. "Could I be a big brother?"

Katniss blushed. "No, you can't. But you'll eventually be a cousin. When Prim and Gale have a baby."

"But I don't want to be a cousin, I want to be a brother."

She whispered in his ear, "We'll talk about it later."

"Why?" Caleb demanded.

"Because it's something I have to talk about when we're alone. Okay?"

He nodded and rested his head on her shoulder. He fell asleep almost instantly. It had been a long evening.

"I think we should go." Katniss said, trying to get up with her son still in her arms.

Gale hurried over and picked him up. "I'll carry him to your car."

"Thanks." Katniss said her goodbyes and then led Gale out to the front.

"That Peeta guy was eyeing you." He said as Katniss strapped Caleb into the car.

She chuckled. "No, he wasn't."

"He sure was. I noticed it and you know how dense I am most of the time." He grinned. He sang, "Katniss has a boyfriend."

"I am in no mood for a boyfriend. We have camp and I have Caleb." She sighed. "Cato tried to call me this morning."

"Where is he? What does he want?"

She placed a hand on his arm. "Hey, calm down. You're looking like a caged animal."

"Well, he doesn't have any right—"

She squeezed. "Stop. I didn't answer the call. I didn't know the number and it went to voicemail. He said he wanted to make amends. And he wanted to see Caleb. He promises he's changed." She shook her head. "He made that promise to me when I told him I was pregnant. And then after I almost lost Caleb after that beating for being too sick to cook his dinner. And after Caleb was born. He promised to change so often... I'm much stronger now with nearly six years removed. He's not getting his hands on my son."

"Good. If he tries anything else, you let me know. I got friends who can help."

She chuckled and squeezed his arm again. "Thank you."

"Be safe." He said as he watched her drive away.

She sighed and hoped that Cato was just trying to intimidate her. She would ignore it for the moment. She had already blocked his number.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Sunday was their lazy day. If Katniss was lucky, Caleb slept until around eight. And even on the days when he woke up early, he climbed into bed with her and cuddled for a while before he asked about breakfast.

Today was a cuddle day. Those days were getting fewer and farther between, so she cherished the cuddle days. She sleepily kissed his temple as she gathered him close. She dozed back off. After a while, he shook her shoulder gently.

"Mama, I'm hungry." He whispered.

She rolled over and stretched. "Flip the switch on the coffee pot and I'll be right in there."

"Okay." He rolled out of bed and bounced out of the room.

Katniss shook her head and moved at much more sluggish pace. She shuffled into the kitchen and ruffled Caleb's hair. She stuck a tea bag into two cups and then gathered the pan and ingredients for omelets. He watched her with interest as she expertly cooked some sausage in another pan and made two perfect omelets.

They sat together in front of the TV, each with their food and a cup of tea. They watched cartoons for a while after they ate, lounging on the couch. Caleb got up and took out his coloring book and crayons and got to work on a masterpiece. He was really good at staying inside the lines, Katniss proudly said to anyone who would listen. There were many coloring books completed and put away in drawers to take out and show off his progress to all their family and friends.

She dozed a little and woke with a start when her phone started ringing. She looked at the screen and saw Finnick's number.

"Hey, Finnick."

"Hi, Katniss. How are you?" He croaked.

"I feel better than you sound." She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"I don't know what has happened, but the Odairs are all sick. I'm just giving you a heads-up. Gale says he and Prim are fine and same with Peeta and Callie. Might just be us. And it might just be a 24-hour thing, so I may be better for tomorrow. But if not, could you run by and get Callie on your way in?"

"Sure. Just keep me posted. Jason's your back-up at the pool, right?"

"Yeah. He knows what to do if I can't make it. I'll let you guys know."

"Just rest up. Especially Annie." She hung up and asked Caleb, "Do you feel okay?"

He thought a moment and then nodded.

Katniss nodded. "I am too. Finnick and his family are all sick. So if you start to feel bad, let me know."

"If I get sick tomorrow, can I stay with Aunt Prim?"

She chuckled. "I think she would like that. She likes taking care of you. But if you're not sick, you're going to camp and you'll work on your skills some more. You're starting to get the arrows to stay."

"Because I can pull it back easier now." He said proudly.

"And it's only been a week. Imagine how much better you'll be next week. And the next and the next until you're as old as I am."

"Mama, can I try for the Olympics?" He asked with wide eyes.

She chuckled and smoothed his hair away from his forehead. "If that's what you want to do, we'll work on it." She tapped his nose. "Whatever you do, you'll be great, kid. I know it."

"How do you know it?"

"Because you're just like me."

He smiled and curled onto her lap. "I like being like you, Mama."

"And I like you being like me, Caleb." She kissed his forehead. "How about some lunch? I'll make up a picnic and we can go out back and hang out with Lady for a while."

"Okay! Can I go out with Lady now?"

"Go for it!" She sat him on the floor.

She watched him pull on his shoes, which she knew he would promptly kick off once outside, and run out to the back yard. He stepped up to the goat tied up in the corner and made quick work loosening the knot. The goat ran free and found a new bit of grass to nibble. Caleb chased after her. They bounded and played together like both were young, despite Lady being in an advanced age for a goat at fifteen. Katniss was sure the poor thing could go at any time. She had already stopped giving milk a few years before.

She brought out sandwiches and chips and a can of soda for the two of them to share and some carrots for Lady. She enjoyed munching them while her humans consumed their sandwiches. Then Caleb and the goat played some more while Katniss watched happily in the hot summer afternoon.

* * *

Peeta didn't open the bakery until noon on Sundays and closed at four instead of six. And he usually was the only worker that was constant. All his other staff rotated the weekends. Madge was the manager. She and Delly, as assistant manager, ran a tight ship. They helped keep all the other tasks in check while Peeta spent a majority of his time decorating cakes. It was those two he left in charge of everything when he needed to be gone. He so rarely did leave that it wasn't something they had to do much. He always made sure to make it to all Callie's school functions. And he often donated cookies and cakes he took his own time to make. He felt it made up for not being able to volunteer as much as some other parents, though he was there more than some.

Delly, who had always had a crush on him and was very transparent about it, was helping today. He made sure to keep her at arm's-length and made it clear that he wasn't interested in anything more than friendship. She came into the back where he was bent over the massive cake he'd been talking about with Annie and Katniss the day before. She smiled and gave a long whistle. "That's impressive."

He looked up and blinked a few times before he was able to smile back. He had been in "The Zone" as he called it and wasn't expecting interruptions. "Thanks."

Callie came in the back door and rubbed her eyes. "Do you need my help today, Dad? Hi, Delly."

"Hey, Callie." Delly said back.

Peeta smiled affectionately at his daughter. "Want to learn some new decorating techniques? I could pull out a few trial cakes if you want."

"Sure!" She took her apron off the hook in the corner and put it on.

"I'm sorry, Delly, did you need something?" Peeta asked as he took a cake out of the cooler and sat it on a revolving pedestal.

"Just letting you know it's kind of dead." She said. "Which is kind of odd for this time of day."

"I'm sure it will pick up. Church could be running late." He handed Callie an empty piping bag and some frosting to fill it. He let her do that while he talked with Delly. "How's the new kid doing? Posey, right?"

"Yes. She'll be all right, I think."

"Good." He thought a moment. "Hm."

"What?" Delly asked.

"Her last name, what is it again? Hawthorne?"

Delly nodded. "She said her older brother runs that camp Callie goes to. And she has two other brothers. Dad died before she was born. Mom perpetually single. She talked my ear off."

"You mean you let her get a word in?" Peeta asked in mock horror.

She giggled. "Well, I can be nice sometimes."

The young woman in question stepped into the back. "Hi, there are customers asking questions and I don't have all the answers."

"I'll see if I have any." Delly waved to the Mellarks and followed Posey out the door.

Peeta turned to Callie who was going over the cake in a series of lines. Most of them were straight. He smiled. "Good job, kid. A real chip off the old block."

"Or a slice from the same cake." She grinned. "I'm getting better, right?"

He nodded. "Much better. I remember when you could barely even hold the piping bag right. Now look at you handling it like a pro." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "We're going to practice swagging."

She watched as he demonstrated the technique. She tried, but the line kept breaking before she could rejoin the tip of the bag to the cake. She made a face and kept trying until finally she got one. It was a very low swoop, but it was a start. She did it again, this time it was really short and wider than the previous one.

Peeta nodded. "Keep trying, Cal. I got work to do." He squeezed her shoulder and went back to the wedding cake.

They both worked in silence for a long time. Delly drifted in and out to get more pastries from the cooler and on the reserve shelves, a couple other bakers came in to ask questions and drop off new product, and the pair of decorators continued to work.

Callie eventually let out a triumphant whoop and dropped her piping bag on the table. She did a happy dance and then pointed. "Look, Dad, I made five in a row the same size."

Peeta sat down his own bag and stretched before he walked over to look at her cake. He turned the pedestal around and around. He nodded. "Good. This deserves a break." He flexed his hand and inclined his head toward the front of the store. "Cookies?"

"I think so." She laughed and walked with him into the main room that now buzzed with customers.

Delly waved to him. "Oh, I was just about to come get you. Someone is here to ask about a cake."

Peeta took the clipboard off the hook where they kept it. He gave his daughter a stern look. "Get yourself a cookie and then go home and be a kid for a few hours, okay?" He tapped Callie's nose. "Love you, Cal."

"Love you, too, Dad."

He smiled affectionately as she picked a treat from the counter and greeted Posey. He stepped toward the woman Delly was talking to and introduced himself and got to work. Callie slid into the seat beside him. He nudged her shoulder and introduced her to the woman. They continued the consultation and she left.

Peeta turned to his daughter, "I told you to go be a kid."

She shrugged. "I want to learn from you."

He smiled and pressed his forehead to hers. "You should want to play and be lazy not learn how to decorate cakes and talk to customers."

"But doing this is fun for me. I don't want to be lazy."

He sat back and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "More like me than I thought."

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked with a teasing grin.

"Not at all." He leaned in and said softly, "Makes me hurt a little less."

"Because you miss Mom?"

He nodded and tapped her nose. "Let's blow this popsicle stand and go see a movie."

She hopped up and pulled on his shirt. "Yes, please! Can we go see Spy?"

"Can we go see something not rated R? You can go to that one with the Finnicks. I'm your father and we will see something a little more family friendly."

She heaved a dramatic sigh. "Fine."

"You'll love it."

They headed out the door to the house out back to change out of their frosting-covered clothes.

He picked up is phone as it rang. "Finnick? I was just talking about you."

"Hey, man." His friend said on the other end. "I'm still feeling rotten. I don't know if I'll be better tomorrow, but if not Katniss said she can come get Callie."

"No problem, dude. Just rest up." He went into his bedroom and picked a new shirt. He changed as his friend talked.

"I'm really sick. Throwing my guts up. And my stomach is doing some crazy stuff."

"Whoa, TMI!" Peeta chuckled. "I get it. Sick happens."

"I'll let you know in the morning how I am." Finnick promised. "Make sure you're presentable."

He stepped into the living room. "For you? Sorry, man, you're cute and all, but you're also married and I'm not about breaking up a perfectly good marriage."

"Cute?" Finnick asked indignantly. "I may be on my deathbed, but I am way more than cute. I am devastatingly handsome, even on my worst days."

Peeta chuckled. "Okay, Finnick, calm down. Get some rest, you handsome devil."

"That's much better. Bye."

Peeta shook his head and hung up his phone. He noticed Callie watching him curiously. "What?"

"Are you gay?" She asked.

He smiled and shook his head. "No. But I don't think I would say no right away if a guy asked me out."

"So what does that make you?"

"A decent person." He clapped her on the shoulder. "I like girls. I've always liked girls. But they don't matter. Do you know what I like more than that?"

She shook her head.

"Being your dad."

She smiled. "And I like being your daughter." She wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed him as hard as she could.

He lifted her off the floor and squeezed her just as hard. He kissed her forehead and sat her back down. "Let's go see a movie."


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Two chapters in one day? I haven't done this in a while! Enjoy! (I'm on Tumblr as booksrockmyface if you're interested)  
_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Six

"I don't want to go, Mama!" Caleb whined as Katniss pushed his shoes on his feet.

"We have to. And we need to be out the door a little earlier this morning because we have to pick up Callie." She picked up her things by the door and waved him on. "Please, baby, we gotta go."

He heaved a dramatic sigh and followed her out the door. Katniss always strove for punctuality. In her pre-Caleb life, she was always at least ten minutes early to everything. Once she had another human to get ready, she was lucky if she was two minutes early anywhere. But she was never late if she could help it. Definitely always _on time_ at the very least.

She pulled into the bakery fifteen minutes before she was meant to be at the camp to open everything up. She lifted Caleb out of the back seat and hauled him inside. Callie made her way through the crowd and greeted them.

"Sucks that Finnick is still sick." She said.

"Yeah." Katniss said. "So where's your dad so he knows I have you."

"I'm right here." Peeta said as he made his way over. He held out a plate of donuts. "Want one? First one's free."

Caleb reached out his hand and then stopped. He asked, "Mama, can I have one?"

"If Peeta is offering it, you can. Thank you." She picked one after Caleb chose his. "I really liked those cheese things Finnick brought the other day. I'm not big on sweets." She took a bite. "But these are delicious all the same."

"The cheese buns are a best-seller."

"I can see why." She smiled. "We have to go. I'm sorry. I have to open up the buildings."

"No, I understand." He wrapped an arm around Callie's shoulders. "Make sure you thank Katniss."

Callie wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you, Cal." He kissed the top of her head.

"I should be back around five-thirty. That's when we close it all up."

He nodded. "Sounds good. Have a good day."

"You too." Katniss smiled.

"Thank you for doing this, Katniss." He slipped another donut to Caleb as they all started to walk away.

The boy beamed at him and took a large bite.

"No problem." Katniss smiled at him. "Thank you, Peeta."

"You're very welcome."

Katniss and the kids loaded into the car and made it to the camp just as Gale pulled in. Callie and Caleb helped them set up as much as possible, but there wasn't a whole lot they could do. When the counselors and other campers started arriving, they greeted their new friends. Caleb was like the little brother to almost everyone. They didn't mind having him around most of the time. Katniss figured part of that was also that he was the co-owner's son, but he was such a sweet kid that there were few people that didn't like him for just being Caleb.

"Well, hello." A smooth male voice said from behind her as she watched the crowd swallow her son.

She turned and froze. "Cato."

Her ex-husband smiled and nodded. "One and the same. How are things?" He looked over her shoulder. "So where is Caleb?"

"Why are you here?" Katniss made discreet eye contact with Gale who moved away swiftly. She saw him scoop Caleb up and leave out the back as she listened to Cato grumble about not seeing his son.

"So where is he? I know he's here."

"You can't be here. Not just to see Caleb, but to even be this close to me is a violation of a court order."

"Calm your tits, all right? I'm dropping off my stepson for the camp. His dad enrolled him last week, but my wife and I have him for the rest of the summer. When he said it was your camp…" He gave her the smile she fell in love with and very quickly had started hating. "Well, I thought I'd take a chance."

"From now on, drop him off at the gate. If you don't, I will call the cops and you will be arrested." She stared him down. He didn't move right away. She turned and walked to a table. She picked up her bow and an arrow and shot it into the bullseye with only a fraction of a moment to aim. She turned back to Cato. "Want to try me?"

He laughed and put up his hands. "Just remember that you never took away my rights when you should have. A protective order isn't a guarantee." He walked away, clapping a young boy on the shoulder as he went.

"Who was that guy?" Rue asked.

"Caleb's dad. If you ever see him out of a car, call the cops immediately."

The young woman nodded.

"And never let Caleb go with him or anywhere with him. Pass that on."

"You got it." Rue walked off.

Katniss called everyone's attention and asked them to all gather into their groups to start the day. She found Gale and Caleb in the cafeteria. They were each drinking from a cartoon of chocolate milk and Gale was telling jokes that made Caleb spew his milk everywhere.

"Who's ready to start archery?" She asked.

"Me!" Caleb jumped up and met her near the door.

Gale threw away their cartons and walked with them to the range. "Everything okay?"

"He's Alexander Smithson's stepfather. I told him he had to drop his stepson off at the gate and then leave. And I told Rue he wasn't aloud outside of his car or she needed to call the police. And that Caleb was never supposed to be around him."

Gale wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed briefly before letting go. "We'll keep an eye on him."

"And I need a favor. Can you handle these guys for a bit? I need to call a lawyer."

"Why?"

"I never completely stripped his rights, remember? I was just given full custody. He always refused to sign them over and I didn't think I could handle the stress of the hearing. But I can now. And I need my son to be mine completely." She watched Caleb go inside the building. "I thought he'd just stay away. He didn't want anything to do with him, but he refused say he wasn't Caleb's father."

"You know we would have helped you, Catnip."

She smiled. "I know. But Prim was still in high school and Mom was…Mom. And I had an infant and a fledgling career as an archery coach. There were more important things. And we had the protective order."

Gale nodded. "Do what you have to do. I have this."

"Thanks." Katniss said gratefully.

"And I'll keep an eye on Caleb." He promised as he went inside.

Katniss called the lawyer who handled her divorce and explained the situation. He said he remembered her and asked her to come in for a meeting that afternoon. She finished her morning and slipped off after sending Caleb with Rue for the afternoon hike.

Plutarch shook her hand and asked her to take a seat. "So you are here for parental rights removal?"

"Yes." Katniss said as she settled in.

"I took out your file. I remember we discussed this, but you said you knew he would fight it. So we petitioned for sole custody. You got it. He was supposed to pay child support. Has he?"

"Never."

He nodded. "And you said today he violated the protection order." He looked at her over the top of a pair of reading glasses. "He could be arrested for that right now if you're scared for yourself or your son."

She shook her head. "I know my son is fine and I am, too."

"Then we will ignore that one as long as you're sure."

She nodded.

"All right, I have some paperwork you need to fill out for the termination of rights. Once we have these filled out and filed with the court, we can send them on to him and get this ball rolling."

"Thank you." She filled out the papers while he helped explain them. She left a short time later to let her lawyer handle the rest with a promise to call when he had it all sorted out.

Caleb ran to her when she walked into the range and threw his arms around her. "Uncle Gale said you were gone somewhere important, but I was worried."

She dropped to her knees. "Why were you worried?"

"Because of that man this morning. He was smiling a lot, but you were mad and scared. And his eyes weren't very nice."

She smoothed his hair down and kissed his forehead before she pulled him into her arms. "He's not supposed to be here. If you ever see him and he wants to talk to you, find me or Uncle Gale or Finnick or anybody else. He's not a nice man."

He looked in her face and whispered, "Is he my dad?"

Katniss nodded. "Yeah. He is."

Caleb looked down. "I want a dad who's nice."

"Well, you have Uncle Gale and Finnick. They are both really cool, nice guys who like you and like spending time with you and like helping you with things. So you don't need a dad at all. You have a mom and you have them and that's all that matters. Okay?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her neck.

She stood and he wrapped his legs around her like a monkey as she walked toward her students that Gale was addressing along with his. All these kids were on a similar level, so it wasn't difficult. Katniss sat Caleb down and handed him his bow and a set of arrows.

"Show us all what you got, kiddo." She said as she walked a few more feet to see how her students were doing.

Caleb grumbled and tried hard for a while. None of his arrows even made it close to the target for a long time. Finally, one hit and stuck on the outer edge. The next three landed in various places all over the target, but they stayed too.

Katniss handed him a bottle of water and rubbed his shoulders and wrists. "You did a good job, baby. No more for today, okay?"

He nodded and sipped his water. "I like Peeta." He said suddenly.

Katniss smiled. "Yeah? He was really nice to give you those donuts today."

"Do you think he'll let me have some more when we bring Callie back?"

"We'll just have to see. But don't ask, okay?" She warned.

"Okay. But I hope so." He smiled.

Caleb's smile warmed Katniss's heart. It was so much like her father's and Prim's. It connected three generations of Everdeens. She kissed his forehead and then walked over to give the students one last set of instructions before she sent them on their way.

Parents started arriving to pick up their kids. Katniss kept herself and Caleb inside the range. She told him she needed his help to put everything away and clean up. He liked feeling useful, so he didn't argue.

Callie came in when most of the rest were gone and helped a little, too. "I hope Finn is okay tomorrow."

"Me too." Katniss said. "It's hard when your best friend isn't around."

The girl nodded. "Has Gale been your best friend all your life?"

"Most of it. We met when I was twelve and he was fourteen. Our dads worked together and were pretty good friends."

"My dad and Finnick have been friends since high school."

"Is that so?"

She nodded. "Dad was friends with Annie first. Her and my mom grew up together. And then dad started dating mom. And Annie dated Finnick before he went off to college. Annie graduated the year before my mom and dad were supposed to."

Katniss caught the "supposed to," but wasn't sure how to handle that. She just nodded. "Yeah?"

Callie nodded. "My mom got sick after I was born. And she died. Dad quit school to take care of me and help in the bakery with his dad, but my grandpa made him take the GED course when I was a little bigger."

"That's good. I bet he wants you to finish school since he didn't."

"Yeah, he does. And then I want to work in the bakery with him."

Katniss smiled. "That sounds great." She scratched Caleb's head as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You two ready to go?"

"Yes." Caleb said. He asked, "Callie, will your daddy give us more donuts?"

"Caleb!" Katniss scolded.

"You said not to ask Peeta. You didn't say not to ask Callie." He said very seriously.

Callie laughed. "If there are no donuts left, I think we can at least get cookies."

"Okay, let's go!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the door. "Are there snickerdoodles?"

"There might be."

"And chocolate chip?"

"Always."

"What about white chocolate macnadamania nuts?"

"Macadamia nuts." Katniss corrected as she locked the door.

"That's what I said. Macnadamania nuts. Callie, are there any?"

Callie nodded. "Usually."

"I want all of them!"

Katniss tickled the back of his neck. "Don't demand all the cookies. If you are offered one, you take _one_ and that's it."

"Yes, Mama." Caleb said. "But, Callie, can I have a bunch."

"That's up to my dad." She said as she got in the car.

At the bakery, Caleb threw himself out of the car and all but dragged Callie into the store with Katniss on their heels. He pressed his face to the glass and inhaled. "They all smell so good."

Peeta chuckled and leaned down so he could see through the other side. "Want one?"

"Please? Mama said if you offered I could have one." He pointed. "I want that one right there with all the chocolate chips."

Peeta chuckled and took out the one he pointed to and got another out. He sat them on top of the counter and watched as the kids each took one. "And for Miss Everdeen." He took out a cheese bun and walked around the counter to hand it to her.

"How much do I owe you?" She asked.

"It's payment for being a taxi service. Finnick said he's feeling lots better today."

Katniss nodded and swallowed a bite of cheese bun. "Yeah, and I am glad. Hey, can we talk cake? Do you have time?"

"Sure." He plucked a clipboard off a hook and waved them to a table in the back.

"So, I'm kind of thinking cupcakes. Kids like cupcakes and that also cuts down on someone having to stand around cutting a cake instead of enjoying their afternoon. And we can do different flavors more easily."

"Cupcakes can work." He made a note. "Callie, no more cookies after that. It's almost time for supper."

She froze. "Do you have eyes in the back of your head for real?"

He turned. "You and Caleb aren't nearly as quiet as you think you are." He smiled. "And you should probably ask Katniss before you give her son another cookie."

"Mama?" Caleb pleaded.

"Just one more." Katniss said.

Both let out a triumphant sound and picked their treats and then walked toward their parents. Katniss gathered Caleb onto her lap and Peeta moved over to accommodate Callie on the bench beside him.

"Do you have any design ideas?" Peeta asked after he wrote several notes on flavors.

"Maybe they can be arranged like a target." Callie suggested.

Katniss smiled. "That's a very good idea."

Peeta made a note. "Okay, I think we can do that. When do you need them?"

"The party is August first. It's a Saturday. We're done on the thirty-first. That gives families time for vacations and to settle into their routines a bit before school."

Peeta nodded. "Good, an extra pair of hands in the bakery." He chuckled.

"I'm going to sleep in." Callie said.

"You are?" He put his hand over his heart in feigned shock. "No way!"

She laughed and nudged his shoulder. "Shut up, Dad."

Peeta wrapped his arm around her shoulders and asked Katniss, "Anything else you can think of for this?"

"We have a couple kids with food allergies. Can you accommodate that?"

"Depends on what it is. We have nuts in the shop, so if the allergy is severe, it could do harm. But I can make eggless cakes and gluten free and we can avoid the nuts as much as possible otherwise."

She nodded. "The nut allergies aren't too bad. We've done peanut butter sandwiches for the kids and had alternates for the ones with allergies and they had no problems. It's just eating nuts that are dangerous."

"Okay, good."

"And there's one with a gluten intolerance and another that has an egg allergy, but his parents say it's different when they are in a cake. But if you can make a few eggless as an option, it would be much appreciated."

He made a few notes. "Okay, how about chocolate and vanilla cakes and I can alternate vanilla and strawberry frosting on them, but arrange them on the platter so they make a bullseye."

"That sounds really awesome." She gave him the number of kids and counselors.

"Then I'll multiply that by three for two guests per person, so there will be plenty." He made another note.

"That's a lot of cupcakes." Callie said as she looked over the paper.

"Yep. And you're going to stay up late that night helping me finish decorating them." He winked.

"Katniss says I need my rest for optimum archery results."

Peeta sighed. "Fine. I'll frost them all myself."

Katniss and Caleb laughed at the exchange. Katniss said, "You two have a lot of fun, don't you?"

Callie nodded. "My dad's the coolest. Followed closely by Finnick."

"My mama is cool." Caleb said.

"Oh, yes. Really cool." Callie turned to her father. "Daddy, she can shoot an arrow with just barely aiming."

Katniss shrugged. "My dad always taught me that if you overthink it, you miss every time. Just look, aim, let go."

Peeta watched her a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, that's a good lesson."

Katniss looked at her watch. "I promised Aunt Prim we'd be there for dinner tonight." She sat Caleb on the floor and scooted out of the booth.

Callie and Peeta followed. Peeta held out his hand. "Thank you again for picking up Callie and bringing her back. I do appreciate it."

She shook his hand. "Not a problem. And I can't wait for those cupcakes."

Peeta followed them to the door and then locked up behind her.

Callie started singing, "Peeta and Katniss sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Peeta put her in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles into her scalp as she laughed. He let her go and started turning out lights. "Don't project your hopes on me, Cal."

"Do you like her?"

"She's nice. She's your archery coach. She's a friend. That's all."

Callie sighed. "You're no fun, Dad."

"I'm loads of fun. But I'm also not going to date Katniss."

"Is she not your type?" she persisted.

"My type is not dating anyone right now, sweetie. I've got too much on my plate. We've talked about that. Can you please drop it?"

She nodded. "Okay."

He sighed. "Look, if you really want me to date, I'll join a dating site or something, but Katniss isn't an option."

"Why?" She demanded.

"Because she just is." He snapped. "Okay? I don't want to hear you say anything else."

"Geez. Fine." She sulked out of the shop and into the back.

Peeta finished closing. He did feel a bit of a pull to Katniss, but pushed it away. The last time he ever opened his heart to someone, she died. He wasn't going to even attempt that for himself again or his daughter.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: Wow, the third chapter this weekend! I think this is my favorite chapter so far in all this. I've got a lot of plans! So keep your eyes out for all the cool stuff. And I think I'll write a little drabble for Tumblr of a Gale/Prim thing that's hinted at in this chapter. So if you follow booksrockmyface, you'll probably see that._

 _Thank you so much for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Seven

Callie sat down on the sofa in the Odair home beside Finn. "I'm ready to kick your butt at Mario Kart."

Finn chuckled. "You're going down."

Peeta ruffled her hair. "Be nice."

She looked up. "I'll try."

He chuckled and kissed the top of Callie's head.

The doorbell rang and the last of the company arrived. Caleb stood with his backpack on and watched the two older kids play their video game. Katniss combed her fingers through her son's hair as she talked with Annie and Rue.

Peeta kneeled in front of him. "Hi, Caleb."

"Hi, Peeta." He said with a smile.

"I'm sure Callie and Fill will let you sit with them if you want." He said.

"Maybe." He looked up at his mother and she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Go on." Katniss said. "You have all your stuff."

He nodded and wandered off. Peeta stood.

Rue said, "I have everyone's numbers. I'll keep you all posted. Have a fun, kid-free evening."

Katniss said, "If he wants to call, let him call. But don't let it happen every five minutes because he gets a little worried sometimes. But if you distract him with popcorn and a little candy, he should be fine."

Rue laughed and asked, "Does he have a bedtime you want me to follow?"

Katniss shook her head. "Tomorrow's Sunday. Maybe if he stays up late, I can sleep past eight."

Everyone chuckled. "Good luck with that one." Finnick said.

Annie slapped his arm. "You never got up with Finn."

"I did. Once or twice."

"And I did every other day." She smiled kindly.

Finnick shrugged. "Peeta, help me out, man."

Peeta chuckled. "I had full-time on my own. No sympathy from me." He looked over his shoulder as Caleb and Finn both cheered and Callie groaned in frustration.

"You suck." Callie said.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." Caleb said.

"Hey, Caleb, be nice." Katniss scolded.

"Let's get going." Gale said. "Rue can handle these three."

"Are you sure?" Katniss asked.

Rue looked over the three kids on the couch. She nodded. "Yeah, if I can handle a whole camp of kids, I think these three will be a piece of cake."

Katniss nodded. She walked over to couch and kneeled in front of Caleb. "Listen to Rue. Be respectful. Don't annoy Callie and Finn."

"Okay, Mama. I'll miss you." He hugged her.

"I'll miss you, too, baby. But you'll be okay. I'll be back in just a few hours and we'll go home." She kissed his cheek and stood.

"Goodbye, Callie." Peeta said a few feet away.

"Bye, Dad." She said without looking up.

Finn mumbled his goodbyes and his parents shook their heads. They left and piled into Finnick's SUV. It was the largest and they could all fit comfortably. Annie slipped her hand into Finnick's as he drove. Katniss looked over her shoulder to see Prim had moved to the center of the back seat and curled into Gale's side.

She looked to over to Peeta who smiled awkwardly.

He said, "So how are things at camp?"

"Going really well. Callie has really gotten better. She almost got a bulls-eye yesterday."

"She told me. She asked me if I could buy her a bow and arrows." He chuckled. "I told her it would have to wait until I see her at the end-of-summer showcase and see if she still likes it."

"Well, if you do think she'll keep up with it, I do coaching the rest of the year." She suggested.

He nodded. "I think she'll like that. As long as she keeps up with it."

"Yeah."

There was silence between them. Prim giggled in the back seat as Gale mumbled something in her ear. Up front, Annie complained to her husband that the baby was making her feel off. He asked if she wanted to go back home and she shook her head.

"I'll be okay once I eat. Baby's just hungry." She said.

Peeta asked Katniss, "What about Caleb, how's he doing?"

"Huh?" She smiled. "Oh, he's doing really well. The arrows stick more often now. He's very proud of himself."

"As he should be."

"I'm proud of him, too. He's my world." She smiled and looked away awkwardly.

Peeta watched her and was struck by her beauty in that moment. He took a deep breath and looked away himself.

Prim cleared her throat. "So, Peeta, Posey has been telling us all about the bakery."

He turned. "Yeah, she's learning the ropes. Kinda sad it's only for the summer."

Gale nodded. "She's pretty bummed, too. But school takes up a ton of time. She's on the dance team and in the band and I think she's going to squeeze in drama club this year."

"I keep telling her to slow down, but she won't listen." Prim said.

Katniss chuckled. "This from the girl who was in science club, Spanish club, 4-H, and still somehow volunteered at the hospital at least three days a week all through high school."

Prim chuckled. "I'm talking from experience. You remember how dead I was."

"I do."

Finnick stopped the car and put it in park. He kissed Annie's hand and got out to run to the other side to open her door as the rest piled out into the parking lot. Finnick wrapped his arm protectively round Annie's waist and kissed her temple. He whispered something in her ear that made her smile and then kissed her again.

Prim and Gale held hands. They smiled lovingly at each other. Prim adored Gale and he all but worshiped the ground she walked on. Katniss was happy they had fallen in love.

She looked to Peeta who walked beside her. They both laughed awkwardly.

Peeta said, "Constantly feeling like a third wheel is hard enough. Now we're both third wheels."

Katniss nodded. "Inside here they're going to assume we're a couple."

He nodded. "I'm not a bad date. I promise. Though, I haven't actually been on a date in about ten years, so I don't know." He laughed.

She chuckled. "It's been about that long for me, too."

"We can sit so that it's not like we're a couple." Peeta suggested. "Especially with these four."

She chuckled. "Good plan."

They were seated and handed menus. Everyone ordered drinks. Prim made a point of ordering something non-alcoholic along with Annie when the men and Katniss ordered bottles of beer.

Katniss looked to her sister and asked, "Are you serious?"

Prim smiled and nodded. "I'm joining the club."

"How far along?" Annie asked.

"We figure about five weeks. Still not confirmed by a doctor, but three home tests say positive."

Gale grinned. "She was satisfied with just one. I made her take two more."

"And then he fainted." Prim giggled. She pulled him in for a kiss.

Katniss and Peeta exchanged an uncomfortable look across the table where he sat between Finnick and Gale.

Annie got up and walked around Katniss to hug Prim. "Pregnancy buddies. We can call each other and complain about swollen ankles."

"I look forward to it." Prim said as she sat back in her seat.

"When Alex was pregnant she always had me massage her feet." Peeta said with a sad, fond smile. "She said they always hurt."

There was a short silence. Katniss gave Peeta a sympathetic smile. He returned it.

Katniss asked, "So you're delaying med school?"

Prim nodded. "I've already talked to the school. They're holding my admission, which is really kind of them. I'm just really looking forward to kicking back and not being stressed about school for a while and taking in all the other stresses and annoyances that are coming my way."

"Do you remember that breakdown I had?" Katniss asked her sister.

"Oh, yeah. Just after you found out. Cato took off and you couldn't find your shoes to follow and you called sobbing about the shoes."

Katniss nodded. "I was upset he'd gone, but all I could focus on were those damn shoes."

"Hormones." Annie sighed. "I broke down when I was pregnant with Finn because Finnick _smiled_ at me and I became so overwhelmed with love that I sobbed for a half hour."

Gale cringed. "I am so excited." He said softly.

"But then there's this cool little human you made that you get to name and dress up and play with." Peeta said with a fond smile.

"Katniss already chose the good names." Prim pointed out.

Katniss smiled. "Sorry, first kid, first name choice."

"Dad would be so proud."

"But you could have a girl."

Prim nodded. "Iris Hazelle." She gave Gale an expectant look.

"It's far too early to worry about names." Her husband said. "Let's just get through the pregnancy."

"We've already got our name." Annie said. "We had one for each with Finn. So if we have a girl, like I hope, we have a name. I suppose we'll figure it out if we have a boy."

Katniss watched Peeta a moment and asked, "How did you pick Callie's name?"

He smiled sideways. "Alex chose it." He said nothing else and took a long pull from his beer.

Finnick asked, "So how is the bakery business, Peeta?"

Peeta smiled at his friend and was about to answer when the waiter came back to take their orders. After the man was gone, he said, "I have wedding cakes coming out of my ears. It's enough to make me never want to get married again." He chuckled. "Good thing I don't plan on it."

"Never say never." Annie grinned.

He chuckled. "I guess not."

Katniss's phone started ringing and she stepped away from the table. She didn't recognize the number and answered it.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Katniss?" Cato demanded.

"Cato, you need to speak to my lawyer." She said calmly.

"No, I need to speak to you."

"My lawyer." She hung up and leaned against the wall.

Peeta appeared in front of her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. My ex." She shook her head. "I'm going to call to check on the kids." She looked through her contacts. "Feeling abandoned over there?" She asked.

He chuckled. "Finnick and Annie are acting as ooey-gooey as Prim and Gale. I don't know how long the other couple have been together, but Finnick and Annie dated for three years in high school before marrying just after Annie graduated a decade ago."

Katniss laughed. "They started dating early last year and got married in December. But he's known us since she was little. It was weird at first." She looked into Peeta's face. "Callie's told me a little about her mother. I know my situation is a little different, but I understand. So, if you ever need to talk…"

He nodded. "Thanks. I'll let you call to check on the kids." He stepped away. He turned back. "Calliope."

"What?"

"Her full name is Calliope Athena Mellark. Alex had this thing for mythology. She picked the name just before Cal was born and I respected her wishes." He smiled sadly and walked back toward the table.

Katniss watched him before she finally dialed Rue's number. "Hey, Rue."

"Hi, Katniss. Caleb was just asking to call you."

"How is he doing?"

"He's doing great. He played a round of Mario Kart, but lost and gave up. He took out his coloring book and has been working on that for a while. I was just about to get them together and make some homemade ice cream."

"Oh, I bet he'll love that. Thank you, Rue, for looking after them."

"No problem. They're all good kids."

"Can I talk with Caleb for a minute?"

"Sure." There was a pause while she handed the phone over.

"Mama, Rue is going to let us make ice cream." He proclaimed.

"I am so excited for you, baby. Are you having fun with Callie and Finn?"

"Yeah, I played Mario Kart, but I died and it wasn't really fun to play, but it's fun to watch. And I colored."

Katniss smiled. "You sound happy. And that makes me happy. I'm going to go back to eat and you go back to having fun. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mama. Bye."

Rue got back on the phone and said, "We'll see you after a while, Katniss. Don't worry about a thing."

"I trust you, Rue. Thank you." She hung up and returned to the table.

"How are the kids?" Peeta asked.

"Being little angels, according to Rue." She smiled. "She's about to make ice cream with them."

"Good." Peeta chuckled.

They made small talk the rest of the meal. Peeta kept looking over at Katniss, even when she didn't say anything. She felt a little uncomfortable about it. Was he trying to flirt? She was never good at flirting. And she definitely didn't need to date anyone. Caleb was her man and she didn't need anyone else.

Annie drove home. Finnick had overindulged and was currently giggling about everything. Annie smiled affectionately, but she also seemed a little annoyed.

Conversely, Gale had consumed just enough to be amorous and Prim was very reciprocal. They were making out in the back seat. Katniss nervously avoided looking at either couple. Peeta was doing the same.

He turned and reached out to touch her arm. "Hey, you want to hang out again sometime? Without being third wheels?"

She smiled and nodded. "Sure."

"Maybe you can take me and Callie to the sporting goods store and show me what sort of bow and arrows she needs. Targets and all that stuff, too."

She nodded. "That will be great. Caleb and I could both use some new arrows. Want to go tomorrow?"

"Sure. I close the bakery at four-thirty Sundays."

"Caleb and I can swing by and get you then. There's a really good sporting goods store just a few blocks from your bakery."

Annie pulled into the driveway and hurried around to prop up her husband as he stumbled out of the SUV. Prim and Gale quickly bid the others farewell and got in their car. Katniss was sure they would barely make it into the house.

Caleb was curled up asleep on the recliner when they walked in. Finn and Callie dozed on either end of the couch. Katniss scooped her son up into her arms and kissed his forehead. "Let's get home." She whispered. She took Caleb's bag from Rue and handed her some money in exchange. "Thank you so much Rue. Enjoy your Sunday."

"It was no problem, Katniss. Bye, Caleb." She rubbed the boy's arm.

"Bye, Rue." He mumbled against his mother's chest.

Peeta guided a sleepy Callie toward the door. "We'll see you tomorrow, Katniss?"

"Tomorrow." She nodded.

"What's tomorrow?" Callie asked.

Peeta said, "Katniss is going to help you and me pick you a bow and some arrows."

This woke the girl up. "Really? Thank you, Katniss."

"Caleb and I will be by to get you and your dad after the bakery closes." Katniss said. "Got to get this guy to bed. I'll see you two tomorrow. Annie, Finnick, Finn, goodnight." She walked out the door and put Caleb in the car.

He opened his eyes as she buckled his seatbelt. "Mama, is Peeta your boyfriend?"

"Peeta's my friend. Just like Gale is my friend."

"You sure?"

"I am." She kissed his forehead and closed the door. She saw Peeta watching her. She waved and got into her car.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note: Who's ready for a shopping trip? Thank you for all the love you have been giving this story. All the numbers I see go up almost daily really make my heart feel good. Happy Fourth, Americans! And happy Saturday, everyone!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Eight

Katniss stopped the car outside the bakery and turned to Caleb. "Okay, baby, we're going to the sporting goods store in a minute. Please don't beg Peeta for anything. If he offers, take. Just like the last time we were here. Okay?"

"Okay, Mama." He nodded and reached down to unbuckle his seatbelt as his mother got out of the driver's side.

She walked around and helped him out. He slipped his hand into hers and pulled her inside. Callie held the door open and ushered them inside.

Caleb ran to the display case and sighed. "It's empty."

Peeta chuckled. "We put it away for the night." He opened up a cabinet and took out a box. "Want a cookie?"

"Yes, please!" Caleb reached inside and took one. "Mama said I couldn't ask."

Peeta chuckled. "Friends don't have to pay."

"That's not a good practice." Katniss said with a smile.

Peeta shrugged. "Well, one free cookie isn't going to break the bank. And I already cleared out the cash register." He held out the box to Katniss. "Want one?"

"Thanks." She took a cookie and patted Callie's back. "Ready for your very own bow?"

"Yes!" The girl exclaimed.

Peeta put the box away and pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Let's get this show on the road." He motioned for the door.

As Peeta locked up, Callie said, "I want a really pretty one."

Katniss chuckled. "Well, I think we need to look at function before we look at beauty. I have an idea of one that could work, but it's not the most beautiful. A pretty one can wait until you know for sure this is what you want to do." She asked Peeta as they got in the car, "So do you have a strict budget?"

He shrugged. "Depends on how expensive they are. I've never looked to buy a bow. And everything that goes with it."

"I'll help you keep it low. It can get expensive."

"Well, I'm a painter, so I'm no stranger to expensive hobbies. My paints have to be replenished often. Especially my oranges. I like orange. And finding the perfect paints took a while. Canvases aren't cheap either, especially the bigger ones."

"A painter?" Katniss asked. "That's awesome. Do you do commissions?"

"I have taken them before. I mostly just paint and give it away."

Callie said, "My walls are covered on Dad's art."

Peeta laughed. "She acts like it's a bad thing, but she loves it."

"Maybe I can look at your stuff?" Katniss asked. "Caleb wants to redo his room. An original piece of art that could grow with him would be a nice addition."

"Sure, we can talk. You can come back to the house after the shopping is done and I can show you a bit."

Katniss nodded and pulled into a spot in front of the store. She helped Caleb out and he ran to Peeta. He slipped his hand into Peeta's and smiled kindly. He gave Caleb a little nod and shook his hand back and forth. Katniss patted Callie's back as the girl stepped closer.

"So are you excited?" Katniss asked.

"Very. I want to be like you." Callie said with a giddy smile.

"You have to work hard at it." She said. She led them to the area with the archery equipment. She held out her arms. "Lot of stuff."

Peeta nodded. "You're telling me."

Katniss held up a finger. "But wait, I can help make sense of it." She walked to a box and picked it up. "Everything you need to get started. A bow that can easily come apart for compact storage, arrows, a quiver, and some targets. The bow can even grow with Callie. These things here," she pointed, "they are called limbs and they can be replaced with heavier ones as her strength grows."

Peeta picked up the box and looked it over. "It only has four arrows. Is that all she needs?"

"You can buy more." She walked down a few feet. She looked a moment and then picked up an arrow. "These ones should be good."

Peeta picked up some as Katniss went through and got some for her and Caleb.

"Ten arrows should be enough, right?" He asked.

"I think more than enough. She's just getting started." Katniss handed the shorter arrows to Caleb. "Be careful with those, baby."

"Yes, Mama." He pointed the tips toward the floor.

"Is that all I need?" Callie asked as she took the box from her father.

"For now." Katniss said. "When you get more into it, there's a lot of extra that can help, but you don't need it now."

They started for the front. Callie asked, "Is the bow you use at camp the one you use all the time?"

Katniss shook her head. "I have three. And the one Caleb uses was mine when I was his age. My dad got it for me to teach me. I have one that I only take out on special occasions that is custom. I'll bring it in for the end-of-summer showcase. It's really pretty. Green with this cool pattern of irises and primroses all over it."

"Why irises and primroses?" Peeta asked. He sat the arrows on the counter and motioned for Callie to put the box along with them.

"For my mom and sister, those are their names." She ruffled Caleb's hair. "And I have my dad's namesake right here."

"That's cool." Peeta said with a grin as he ran his credit card. "Callie, you're sticking with this for at least six months."

"Sure thing, Dad." She picked up the box and clutched it to her chest. "But I'm thinking forever."

Katniss chuckled. "I'll help you put it together if you want."

"Yes, please."

Katniss paid for her transaction and they all walked out together. Caleb grabbed Peeta's hand again. She opened her mouth to call him back to her, but Peeta shook his head.

Peeta asked, "So, Caleb, what do you like besides archery?"

"I like to color." The boy said.

"Oh, yeah? What do you like to color?"

"Pirates and dogs." He said confidently.

"Pirates and dogs, huh? I like pirates and dogs, too. But what about pirates that _are_ dogs?"

Caleb's eyes grew wide. "I never thought of a pirate dog, Peeta!"

Peeta laughed and squeezed his hand. "It would be pretty awesome, huh?"

"Really awesome!" He thought for a moment and said, "But how would a pirate dog hold a sword? They don't have hands."

Peeta thought a moment and then said, "I think they could have hands. You know that sometimes things can change? It's how imaginations work."

The boy nodded. "Yeah!"

Callie looked over the box as they drove back to the Mellark home. Caleb happily chattered to her about the new bow.

Peeta smiled. "Thanks, Katniss. I think I have one happy kid back there."

Katniss shrugged, "Just part of the job."

He shook his head. "No, not true. I don't see you out shopping with anyone else."

"Not everyone else is as enthusiastic." She admitted.

Caleb asked, "Mama, can we have pizza for supper?"

"Pizza?" Katniss asked as she pulled into the bakery. "Why do you want pizza?"

Peeta pointed, "Go down this road. Our house is in the back."

Caleb said, "Mama, you said we could have pizza for supper today. So can we? And can Callie and Peeta eat with us?"

Katniss parked the car and turned to Peeta. "What do you say?"

"Sure. I can order delivery while you help Callie set up her bow."

"But I'm paying." Katniss said.

He shrugged. "Maybe you can get it next time." He got out of the car.

"You're not buying my friendship." Katniss said as she followed.

"Paying you back for showing my kid how to do something." He said with a shrug.

Caleb ran after Peeta into the house. "Can I see your paintings, Peeta?"

"Sure, Caleb." He unlocked the door and ushered them all inside. "Callie, can we look in your room first?"

"Yep!" She sat the box on the couch and led them all into her bedroom.

The paintings on the walls were a mixture of cartoon reproductions and realistic animals. There was one that had beautiful calligraphy of her name.

"You did all these?" Katniss asked as she stepped closer to a galloping horse. Its mane and tail blew in the wind and its momentum. "That's amazing."

"You should show her Mom." Callie said.

Peeta nodded and led them out of the room. In the living room he walked to the covered canvas in the corner. He pulled the cloth away and stepped back. "Alexandrea." He said softly. "I still have a few things to clean up."

Katniss stepped forward and examined the portrait. She looked over her shoulder at Callie and said, "You look a lot like her." She turned back to the painting. "This is amazing, Peeta."

"She was amazing." He said softly.

Katniss nodded. "I'll help with that bow, Callie." She turned and sat with the girl on the couch as Callie opened the box and started taking the stuff out.

"Pepperoni?" Peeta asked. "For the pizza?"

"Works for me." Katniss said.

"You know me, Dad." Callie said. She looked at the pieces she took out.

"I like lots of cheese." Caleb said as he followed Peeta to the next room.

"Me too." Peeta tapped his phone and made the order on the app for the local pizza place. He picked up a sketch pad and a pencil box and tucked them under his arm as he finished making the pizza order. He put his phone in his pocket and then sat at the coffee table. He patted the floor beside him. "Let's talk about pirate dogs, Caleb."

For the next several minutes, the pairs talked amongst themselves. Caleb leaned over the sketch Peeta worked on. He enthusiastically pointed out things he liked.

"Can he have an eye patch and a wooden leg?" Caleb asked.

"Sure he can." Peeta quickly sketched the patch over the dog's eye and then moved on to replace one of his legs with a wooden one.

There was a knock on the door.

Caleb ran to it and opened it.

Katniss tensed up as she watched her son. "Caleb, we don't open other people's doors."

"But the pizza's here." He said and pointed.

A young woman smiled and waved at them from the other side. "Hi, I have two large pepperonis with extra cheese."

"That'll be us." Peeta pulled his wallet out of his pocket and handed over several bills. "Have a good evening, Piper."

"You too, Mr. Mellark." She waved at everyone and walked back to her car.

"You know the delivery girl by name?" Katniss asked as she followed him into the kitchen. "Order a lot of pizza?"

He chuckled. "Her dad is one of my bakers. I watched her grow up. I offered her a job in the bakery, but she said she'd rather try her hand at something else." He sat out plates and cups and called the kids in.

Caleb came in and asked, "Mama, did you see the pirate dog Peeta drawed for me?"

"Drew." She corrected. "And I did see. He's very talented, isn't he?" She handed him a plate.

The boy nodded and walked to the table with his plate.

"I'll paint it for you if you want?" Peeta said.

Caleb nodded enthusiastically as he chewed.

"If that's okay with you." He said to Katniss.

"Fine by me." Katniss said. She sat down beside Caleb. "Name a price."

"We can work it out later." Peeta said.

She shook her head. "You're difficult."

He shrugged. "I'm just being kind."

"'Kind' will make you go broke." She pointed out. "So after we eat, Callie, you want to set up a target and get a feel for the new bow?"

"Yes, please." Callie said happily.

"Do you think you'll like it?" Peeta asked.

"I think so."

Caleb finished his slice of pizza and asked for another one. Katniss sat it one on his plate and took another for herself. Callie and Peeta helped themselves to more. They ate in silence for a while.

Caleb finished and then looked to Peeta. "Can you finish my picture now?"

Peeta chuckled. "Can I finish eating?"

"I guess." He asked Katniss, "Mama, can I play on your phone?"

She passed it over. "Keep the volume down."

"Yes, ma'am." He made himself at home on the couch and started playing.

Callie took one last slice and sat with Caleb on the couch as she ate it to watch him play.

Peeta watched them a moment and then turned to Katniss. "So."

Katniss smiled. "So."

"How much to you charge for the solo coaching?"

"For once a week, I charge a hundred a month. For twice a week, a hundred and fifty. Sessions are about an hour, sometimes a little longer if there's something we need to keep at. We do them at the camp range."

Peeta nodded. "Sounds reasonable."

"I'd love to work with her. She's got a lot of potential."

He nodded. "She's very excited. She just kept talking about the bow shopping today. So, thank you. I appreciate it."

"It's been my pleasure." She stood and helped him clean up the plates. She led everyone outside. She set up a target and counted steps. She pointed. "Here."

Callie stepped up to where Katniss pointed.

"Hold on." She looked around and found some rocks. She placed them on the ground where the girl stood and then found some more to put by the target. "Every time you come out to practice, you put the target back there and you stand here. Peeta, whenever you mow this grass, make sure you put the rocks back as close to here as possible."

He nodded. "You got it." He clapped his daughter on the back. "Show me what you've been learning, Cal."

Callie took a shaky breath and pulled out an arrow.

Katniss leaned down and said, "Just remember, you breathe in and aim, breathe out halfway and fire, and then let out the rest of your breath before you take your bow down."

The girl nodded and nocked her arrow. She took her time and did as Katniss instructed. The arrow hit the lower corner. She grumbled and tried again. The second one was a little higher, but still so far from the center.

"You just have to keep practicing." Katniss said. "You know what?"

"What?" Callie asked.

"I don't get the center every time. And there are some days the arrows are all over the target. You will get better with practice, but you will still have bad days. And that's okay." She patted Callie on the shoulder and looked at her watch. "We need to head out."

"Yeah." Peeta nodded. He held out his hand. "Thank you for your help today."

Katniss shook his hand. "It was no problem."

He dropped his hand and rubbed his thighs. "I'll work on that picture."

"Thanks." She smoothed her hand over Caleb's hair. "Let's go home."

Caleb nodded and then threw his arms around Peeta's waist. "Thank you, Peeta."

"You're very welcome, Caleb." He said as he rubbed the boy's back.

Katniss and Caleb got in their car and pulled out. Peeta watched them a moment and then turned to Callie.

She said, "You like her."

He sighed and took her shoulders and shook gently. "She's my friend." He kissed her forehead. "I'm proud of you with this. You're doing so well."

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you, Dad."

He held her tightly and rocked back and forth. "I wish your mom could see you. I think she'd be proud, too."

Callie looked up. "I know she would be."

Peeta let go. "You should practice a bit more and then pack it in for the night."

"Okay."

He watched her shoot a few more arrows before he went back inside to work on the portrait of his late wife.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: Another chapter is about to come your way, so you won't have to wait long. So many good things coming your way!_

 _Thanks for reading! Find me on Tumblr at booksrockmyface._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Nine

Katniss's phone went off with a text. She saw Gale's name. " _How was the date?_ "

She sighed and replied, " _It wasn't a date. I took his daughter to buy a bow._ "

" _But he's so into you._ " Her friend argued.

" _He's into his dead wife. And she was a babe, so I can see why._ "

He sent a wide-eye emoji.

Katniss shook her head. " _Focus on your wife and not on the fact that a FRIEND and I spent the afternoon together._ "

" _You know, Finnick says he doesn't act that way with other women._ "

" _Most of the other women he knows are married._ " She stretched and plugged her phone in. She was ready to get to bed, but Caleb was still up and refusing to even try sleeping.

"Mama, can I sleep with you tonight?" Her son asked when she walked into his room.

"You need to sleep in your own bed. You're getting too big to sleep with me." She combed her fingers through his hair. "I love you."

"I love you too." He sighed. "I like spending time with Peeta and Callie."

"I do, too."

"Can we do it again?" He yawned and his eyes drifted closed.

"I'm sure we can." She kissed his cheek and turned out his light.

She checked her phone before she started her nightly routine. There was another text from Gale. " _You aren't most women, Catnip. And you need to get laid. You are uptight._ "

" _Such a guy thing to say. I don't need a man for an orgasm._ "

" _More than an orgasm. Sink to skin contact is necessary._ "

She snorted. " _Now I'm thinking about you and my sister. Ew! Shut up!_ "

" _Lol. Just think about it. He's single, you're single. Both of you have been that way for many years. He's into women, you're into men. Do you see what I'm getting at?_ "

She could almost hear the laughter on the other side of the conversation. She was also sure Prim was part of it. She tapped out a final reply, " _I will not become friends with benefits with the parent of one of my students. And I don't date them either. We are FRIENDS and that is all. And I won't say anything else about it tonight. I'll see you in the morning._ " She put her phone on Do Not Disturb mode and finished getting ready for bed.

Katniss lay in bed for a long time after her light was out staring at the ceiling. Gale was probably right that she needed someone. She needed intimacy. She needed someone who loved Caleb. But she did have a policy against dating—and sleeping with—the parents. It wasn't an official policy, but one she imposed for herself. It just made things messy. If they broke up, she would lose a good student. And other people might think it colored her treatment of Callie.

But the truth was, she did think Peeta was cute. And he had been so sweet with Caleb. Her son had found a kindred spirit. No one else in her family was an artist. She wasn't even sure she knew where he had gotten his talent and love of coloring. He was crafty, too. She had so many of his little homemade trinkets around the house and in storage boxes and drawers along with his completed coloring books. She loved her son. And someone like Peeta who could help nurture his talent was what she needed.

But she definitely couldn't have him.

She rolled over and fell asleep eventually. She was awakened too early by a nightmare. She looked at the clock and saw that it was less than an hour until her alarm went off and she just rolled out of bed. No use trying to get back to sleep after that anyway.

* * *

Katniss put everything into those last weeks of camp. All her campers had made decent progress, even those that didn't want to be there. She didn't see Cato again and kept Caleb inside for drop-off and pick-up as much as possible. She had so many nightmares of him snatching Caleb one of those times.

She had a final consultation with Peeta over the cupcakes before the last week was done. And the entire time, she thought about Gale and what he had said. And every time Peeta spoke, she watched his lips. Was he a good kisser? She shook herself and focused on his words and not the budding attraction. Friendship. She needed friendship.

"So what do you think?" He asked, indicating the cupcakes he'd already decorated and the drawing beside them.

"They look really good." She nodded.

"Want to try one?" He picked up the plate. "There will be plenty."

"Yeah, okay." She chose a chocolate with vanilla frosting. She took a bite. "Wow, that's so good." She swallowed. "It's moist and light. And the frosting isn't too sweet. Kind of tart."

"I did cream cheese. Little bit of a contrast. So you like it?"

"I do." She took another bite and leaned against the counter. "Caleb asked if we could hang out again."

"I'd like that." He went back to frosting the cupcakes. "You have your big shindig this weekend. Finnick and Annie hosted that other cookout. Maybe I can put together a back-to-school blowout here."

"You should."

"Oh, wait here. I've been working on something. I'll be right back." He put down his piping bag and left through the back. He returned with four eight-by-ten canvases. He placed them in front of her.

"Caleb's pirate dogs." She chuckled as she looked them over. "Very realistic. And something he can keep for a long time. These are so cool. How much do you want for them?"

"Nothing." He smiled. "They're for his birthday next week. From me."

"How do you know his birthday?" She asked softly as she stacked the paintings.

"Finnick. When he came in to drop off Cal the other day I asked. I was curious. I knew you'd want to pay for those, but I can't take payment. I did them because your son deserves it. And I was done with the painting of Alex. I usually always have a project going."

Katniss sighed. "You're too nice."

Peeta smiled. "I take after my dad."

"He was a good man, then."

He nodded. "A very good man. My mother didn't deserve him."

She gave him a quizzical look.

He shrugged. "My dad was ultimate good and my mother bordered on ultimate evil. She never hurt anyone physically, but we could all expect a good tongue-lashing for putting a single toe out of line. When Alex… When she told me she was pregnant, I decided we should get married and she agreed. My mom didn't like it, any of it. She told us we were going to Hell and that we were horrible human beings. And my dad finally stood up to her. He told her he supported us and that we could move in with them once we were married. And she left. She divorced my dad over _my_ marriage. And I haven't seen her since. She didn't even show to Dad's funeral. She sends a Christmas card every year, but just for me. Never mentions Callie. And I don't care. One day she'll realize how badly she screwed up. And she'll be all alone."

Katniss looked down a moment to compose herself. She looked back up. "I'm sorry to hear that. I guess we both kind of lost out in the Mom Department. Mine became a workaholic after my dad died and I pretty much raised Prim. She moved out and we don't talk much except on holidays. She and Prim have a pretty good relationship since Prim is studying to be a doctor and Mom's a nurse. They have that in common." She smiled sadly and squeezed Peeta's arm. "Thanks for the cupcake and the paintings. Let me know the final cost and I'll have a check for you before the party."

"No problem." He said softly.

She picked up the paintings and made her way out. Caleb's birthday was the next week. She usually brought him to the movies and spent the day buying him treats and toys and just spoiling him. It was her favorite day of the year.

She picked Caleb up from Prim and Gale's and they went home. The last camp day was tomorrow and Katniss was ready. She made supper and they got ready for bed. Caleb couldn't sleep and Katniss reluctantly let him sleep in her bed.

She jerked awake from a nightmare.

Caleb watched her. "Mama, why were you screaming?"

She gathered him close and kissed his temple. "I had a really bad dream. But it's okay because it was just a dream." She rubbed her son's back until he fell back asleep, but she didn't go back to sleep. She wished she would, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Cato. His face was close to hers and his hands were around her throat and she couldn't breathe.

She picked up her phone and started to text Gale, but she decided against it. He was asleep and he needed his rest. She put her phone back on the table and rolled over. She watched Caleb sleep and tried to go back to sleep once again. But there was the image again and she groaned in frustration.

She picked up her phone and sent a text to Peeta, " _Do you ever have nightmares?_ "

His response came quickly. " _Who is this?_ "

" _Katniss. Sorry to bother you. I had a horrible nightmare and I didn't know who else to talk to. You don't have to respond to this._ "

He did anyway. " _I'm already awake for the day. If you need to talk, I'm available._ "

" _So do you have nightmares?_ " She got up and made her way to the living room to watch TV.

" _I did when Cal was a baby. That she was in trouble and just out of reach for me to get her._ "

" _I have this recurring nightmare of Caleb being hurt or me being hurt and I can't help him._ " She didn't want to get into detail.

" _Every night?_ "

" _Not every night, but most nights._ "

" _Hug Caleb and know that everything will be all right. You have a big day today, you should probably try to get back to sleep._ "

She smiled to herself. " _Thank you._ "

" _Any time. I'll send an extra cheese bun with Finnick to make your day a little better._ "

" _That will be awesome!_ " She went back to her room and combed her fingers through Caleb's hair and she drifted off to sleep without any fear.

She woke up feeling refreshed. The last day of camp was a chance to practice for the showcase the next day. Everyone would get a chance to shoot six arrows at the target while all their family watched. And of course there was the prospect of cheese buns.

Callie hurried up to her as soon as she got out of the car and handed her a box. "There's a cheese bun for you and a donut for Caleb. And a note from Dad." She smiled and walked around her to go into the range.

Katniss opened the box and took out the note. " _Hope you slept well. Anymore nightmares, text me._ _Your friend, Peeta_ "

"Hey, Caleb." She called. She handed him the donut. It was chocolate glazed with lots of sprinkles. "Be sure to thank Peeta tomorrow."

"Oh, I will!" He hurried off after Callie and Finn as he ate his donut.

Katniss sat down with her cheese bun and watched the kids arriving for their final day. Some would be back the next year, but most would not.

Cato pulled up and spotted her. He got out of the car and walked over. "I know I'm not supposed to be out of the car. I know you have a protective order and all that shit, but I have a serious question."

"What?" She asked sharply, looking all around her to make sure Caleb was inside. This is how her nightmare started.

"This thing tomorrow. Does that count? Because Xander really wants me to see what he's been working on."

Katniss sighed. "You know what, Cato? If you are so desperate to see him, then fine. But you stay away from me for the entire day."

He put up his hands. "You got it. We'll stay in our lane."

"Now get back in your car, please." She watched him back up and get in slowly. She waited until he drove away to turn around. She smiled when she saw Gale and Finnick standing at the door to the range. Both were ready to pounce. Gale had his bow in his hand and his quiver over his shoulder.

"What did he want?" Gale demanded.

She patted his arm. "He was getting permission to come tomorrow. Help me keep Caleb away from him."

Finnick said, "I'm sure Annie and Prim will gladly tag team doing that all day."

Katniss nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. They're good mama bears." She rubbed her face. "Okay, let's get this day started."

Gale and Katniss ran through the roster of the showcase with the students. After everyone took their shot, they got to go swimming and then on a hike or to the crafts building. They invited everyone back at the end of the day and Katniss stood in front of them.

"Listen, I am so proud of all of you." She said. "When you first walked in here, you couldn't even hold a bow and now all of you are shooting arrows into a target and they stick. Now, some of you have never gotten a bullseye and that's fine. If you move on from here, you will get a bullseye eventually. If you don't just be proud that you learned something new this summer."

Someone started a cheer and everyone clapped and yelled.

Gale waved them down. "Now Katniss and I would like to show you what can happen if you move on from here."

Katniss grinned and picked up a bow. "I'm going to attempt to shoot six arrows into the center of that target," she pointed to a target at the end of the range, "from all the way back here." She walked all the way to the other end of the range.

Gale moved beside her. "And I'm going to hit the other one. I think I can get them all in before her."

"And I _know_ I can get all six arrows before Gale."

Finnick said, "When I say three, they'll go." He turned to the pair. "One, two, three."

The pair shot off their arrows in quick succession, Katniss dropped her bow a second before Gale. She looked at her target and made a face. One arrow was at the bottom, but the other five were in a good cluster in the middle. Gales were all in the center, but not as tightly clustered together as Katniss's.

Katniss held up her hand and Gale gave her a high five. She turned to the kids gathered. "And that is what years of practice can do, ladies and gentlemen."

They all applauded. Katniss sent everyone on their way. The staff gathered around after all the kids were gone.

Katniss said, "I am so happy to have had all of you working here this year. You did a great job. And I would greatly enjoy having you back next year. Tonight I am treating you all to pizza, but you have to work for it first. This place needs a thorough cleanup. All the tables need to be put into the far corner over there for snacks. All the trash needs to be picked up. And we need to vacuum in here. There are three in the craft building that can be used at once. Divide the tasks amongst yourselves. Gale, Finnick, and I will get the bows and arrows locked up and put the targets in place."

She asked Finnick, "Did you tell Peeta about pizza?"

"He's your boyfriend." Finnick said with a smirk.

"He's more your boyfriend. Did you tell him this morning that I was planning pizza?"

Finnick thought a moment and then shook his head. "I don't think so."

"I'll call him quick." Katniss took out her phone.

"Yeah, so not your boyfriend." Finnick teased.

"Shut up." She laughed. She pressed her phone to her ear and waited for Peeta to pick up. "Hey, it's Katniss."

"Hi, Katniss. What's up?"

"I'm treating my staff to pizza at my place tonight. Callie's invited, of course, and I wanted to see if you would like to be there, too."

"Sure. Thanks."

"I forgot to tell you yesterday and I asked Finnick to say something…" She trailed off. "I ordered the pizza for a six-thirty pick up. That should give you time to shut down. We're cleaning up here now."

"Okay, I will see you then."

"Good." She hung up and went back to the clean-up.


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note: I'm really interested to know what you think of this chapter. Come visit me on Tumblr at booksrockmyface._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Ten

Katniss unlocked the door and let all her guests inside the house. She sat out the pizza and Annie followed with drinks. The counselors attacked the pizza, leaving very few slices by the time the older people walked over.

"Hey, two pregnant ladies here and all you brats are stealing all our babies' nourishment." Annie scolded playfully.

"Dad!" Callie ran to the front door and Katniss froze.

"Hey, Cal. Look at you getting us in on all the cool parties." Peeta hugged her and followed her to the food. "I brought some chips." He held up some grocery bags and sat them on the table. He and Katniss shared a smile. "How did you sleep?" He asked softly.

Annie gave Katniss a significant look.

"I had a nightmare and I texted Peeta about it." Katniss explained to the other woman. She turned to Peeta. "A lot better. Thank you. Sorry I bothered you."

"It was no bother. What else are friends for? And I'm up that early anyway." He shrugged. "It's fine."

Annie mumbled some excuse and hurried off. Katniss saw her sidle up to Prim and whisper in her ear. Both women looked in their direction.

"They are all so determined, aren't they?" Peeta said.

Katniss laughed. "Yeah. Getting a little desperate, I think. Prim and Gale think I'm uptight and need a man to relax me. And I think Annie and Finnick think the same about you."

"That I need a man?" Peeta asked with a playful grin.

Katniss shrugged. "I don't know your life. Maybe you're only hung up on Alex because you're scared of admitting the truth about your attractions."

Peeta laughed. "I am definitely still hung up on Alex. But it's because of Alex."

She nodded.

He watched her a moment and then asked, "Is something bothering you?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but Caleb ran over and slipped his hand into Peeta's.

"Do you want to see my room?" The boy asked.

"You never cleaned it, Caleb." Katniss pointed out.

"I did just now." He looked up at Peeta. "Please?"

"All right." He walked off with Caleb and Katniss drifted across the room to her sister and Annie.

"I need all of you to stop whispering to each other every time Peeta and I talk." She said.

Finnick draped an arm over his wife's shoulders. "You two are just so good together. You need to kiss already."

"And you all need to realize that we're just friends. I've said it so many times."

Finnick said, "If you're not going to kiss him, I will."

Annie laughed. "You will not."

"Why? Because you told me?"

"No because Peeta is so not into you. Or even slightly into guys."

"Then you kiss him because he could use a good kiss." Finnick pointed out.

"Okay, Han, cool your jets." Annie laughed.

Caleb and Peeta came back into the room laughing together. They walked up to the group and Caleb looked up at Katniss.

"Mama, Peeta said he could paint a miracle all over my walls." Caleb announced.

"A mural." Peeta corrected. "But only if your mom wants that."

"When would you have the time?" Katniss asked. "You work seven days a week."

"I can take off." He shrugged.

"Paid labor." She said. "We can work out the details later, but it would be really cool."

"Fine, you can give me monetary compensation." He looked at all the others. "What were you all talking about?"

Finnick said, "About how much you and Katniss need to make out." Annie hit him hard in the stomach and he let out a pained, "Oof! Watch it!"

Katniss blushed. "Your friends are the worst, Peeta."

"They really are." He said. "I don't need that kind of pressure in my life."

"Then we should leave them to their own devices." She nodded her head down the hall. "Tell me what you have in mind for that mural."

They walked away, Caleb still clutching Peeta's hand.

Katniss said softly, "Can you help keep an eye on Caleb tomorrow?"

"Sure. What's going on?"

"I don't need you to actually have him at any point, but just watch out for him. My ex is going to be there." She said the last as softly as possible so Caleb wouldn't hear.

Peeta nodded. "I won't let anything happen."

"Thanks." She said softly. She stepped into Caleb's room. "A mural will look awesome in here."

"Pirates?" Peeta asked.

"Yes!" Caleb said happily.

"If that's what you want, baby." Katniss said.

Peeta nodded and stepped toward the biggest wall. "Then we can do some waves and a pirate ship on one side and a ship with a British flag on the other side." He turned to the pair. "What do you think?"

Caleb's grin was so wide his face looked like it was about to break. "I love it, Peeta. When can you start?"

Katniss laughed and smoothed her hand over his hair. "That sounds great, Peeta."

"I'll do up some sketches tonight and show you after the showcase tomorrow." Peeta said.

She nodded. "Sounds good. And I will be paying you. If you don't name a price, I will just pay you what I think it's worth."

He chuckled. "Okay. I'll figure out a price. We'll start with price of supplies and go from there."

She held out her hand. "Deal."

He shook her hand. "Deal. Awesome. We'll talk more when I have sketches." He walked out of the room. "I should probably take Callie home. I have to open up the bakery in the morning."

"Are you going to need any help with the cupcakes in the morning?"

"I'll be able to get them. Thank you. Cal, time to go."

She groaned and turned to Finn. They did their elaborate handshake. "See you in the morning." She said.

Katniss walked them to the door. "Can't wait for you to show off tomorrow, Callie. You've learned a lot this summer."

"Thank you, Katniss." Callie beamed.

"Yes, thank you." Peeta said.

Everyone started to leave not long after that. Gale and Prim were the last. Katniss rubbed her sister's stomach. "Go home and rest. This baby's had a long day."

Prim laughed. "This mama's had a long day." She sobered and squeezed Katniss's arm. "Gale told me about Cato. Nothing is going to happen to Caleb. None of us will let it."

Katniss hugged Prim. "Thank you, sis."

* * *

The showcase was a success. Afterward, Katniss was bombarded with people thanking her and expressing how much they appreciated her and Gale and the entire camp. Over and over she said, "It just so much fun for me and I have nothing I'd rather do."

Peeta, Callie, and Caleb walked over. Caleb clung to Peeta's hand.

Caleb asked, "Mama, can we eat the cupcakes?"

"Why do you want a cupcake?" She asked, bending down to talk to him.

"Because Peeta worked really hard on them and I need to eat them and tell him how yummy they are." He said seriously. "And other people are eating them."

"Well, I guess you can have one." She looked over to see Cato making his way toward them. She straightened up. "Peeta, please take him over there and get a cupcake."

He watched where her eyes were going. He nodded and pulled Caleb and Callie along with him.

Cato sidled up to her. "Always taking him away from me."

She gave him a hard look. "I'm sorry?"

"Caleb. Making your boyfriend take him away before I can talk to him."

"I don't have a boyfriend. You came, you saw your stepson show his skills, now it's time for you to leave."

"What do you want to do, Katniss?"

"I want you to leave. I want to have no contact with you again until we go to court."

"I'm not giving you my rights."

Katniss sighed. "Cato, you didn't want anything to do with him. He's almost seven. Nothing in that time. No child support, no phone calls, not even a Christmas card. So you can give up your rights or you can see me in court. Now, get out of here and leave us alone."

Cato opened his mouth to say something else, but thought better of it. "Fuck it." He turned and gathered his family and left.

Katniss turned and made her way to the snacks table. Caleb lifted his arms and she picked him up and held him close.

Peeta stepped close and placed a hand on her back. "You okay?"

"I've been better." She pressed her nose into Caleb's hair.

"Mama, why are you shaking?" Caleb asked.

"Because I'm a little scared." She said softly.

Peeta rubbed soothing circles into her back. "What's next?"

"Get through today." She kissed Caleb and then put him down. She stepped out of Peeta's reach. "I need some air."

"By yourself?" Peeta asked.

She watched him a moment and then said, "You can come." She walked out of the building and he followed.

"Who was that guy? The ex?"

"No one important." She clasped her hands behind her back.

He nodded. "But you're really okay?"

She shook her head. "I don't know." She stopped beside the cafeteria. "I don't want to think about him. He ruined everything he touched. I had to work really hard to fix it." She looked down. "I don't want to talk about him anymore." She opened the door and walked in.

He followed.

She leaned against the door. "I can't keep being this person."

"What person?"

"I can't hold it together, Peeta. Not for Caleb."

He stepped in front of her. "Look, I know what it's like to have to hold it together for your kid. You don't have to be strong with me."

She looked down and covered her mouth. A sob escaped her and then another. She reached out to him and he gathered her onto his arms. He rubbed her back and let her cry until all her tears were spent.

She stepped away and wiped at her eyes. She chuckled. "Well, this is a first."

"Crying?" He asked with a smirk.

"Crying on the shoulder of a guy that I could date." She cringed at her words. "I don't date."

"I don't date either." He said unconvincingly.

She nodded and took his hands. She looked down at them and then she pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth. She stepped away.

He smiled and squeezed her hands. "Is this appropriate?"

"No." She kissed him again, this time on the lips.

He shook his head. "Katniss, we can't." He let go of her hands and rubbed his face.

"You're right." Katniss sighed. "Thanks for your shoulder." She stepped out of the building.

Peeta combed his fingers through his hair and let out a frustrated groan. "Stupid." He followed her out the door with every intention of telling her he was wrong and wanted to kiss her some more. But there was a group of people around her as they started leaving.

Caleb ran over and pulled on his hand. "Can I take some cupcakes home?"

Peeta smiled and lifted the boy up. "You can take as many as you want. As long as your mom doesn't mind."

"I know she won't." He threw his arms around Peeta's neck and squeezed him. "I love you, Peeta."

"Caleb?" Katniss called.

"Over here with Peeta." He wiggled until the man put him down. "I think Mama wants to clean up and then leave."

"I'll come help." He followed Caleb into the range after Katniss. He tried to get her attention, but she did all she could to avoid him.

She hated it, but she wouldn't give into the feeling. She couldn't.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: I shared some of this on Tumblr (booksrockmyface) a while ago and it finally came up! With the events in the last chapter, I hope you like what's happening here. I'm sorry, but this will be the last update for a few days. On the weekends I have a lot more time to write. I also have some reading I'd like to get done. Let me know what you think._

 _I also want to thank you all for the words of encouragement and speculation and appreciation. It really makes me happy and lets me know I must be doing something right. Keep it coming!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Eleven

"I need a giant favor." Katniss said after he answered.

Peeta said, "Name it and I'll see what I can do."

"I have something I have to take care of and I can't bring Caleb. My sister is not an option today and—"

"He can come hang out here." Peeta said.

"Are you sure? It'll only be for an hour or so."

"I'm sure. Bring him on over."

"Thank you so much." She hung up and started putting Caleb's things into his backpack.

"Caleb?"

He poked his head out of his room. "What?"

"Want to go hang out with Peeta and Callie at the bakery?"

"Yes!" He ran in and started pulling on his shoes. He held his foot out. "Tie, please."

"You need to learn to do this yourself." She tied his shoes and then handed him his backpack. "Now, stay out of the way and listen to Peeta, okay?"

"Okay."

At the bakery, he ran to the door, but she put a hand on his shoulder to slow him down inside.

Peeta walked over. "Hi." He smiled kindly. "Ready to have some fun?" He asked the boy.

Caleb nodded.

Katniss said, "He has coloring books, so he's good to sit and do that for a while."

Peeta nodded. "If we get done making cookies and you're still not back, I'll sit him down to do that."

"Oh, you don't have to do anything special." Katniss argued.

Peeta shrugged. "It's a bakery. I need to make the cookies anyway." He held out his hand. "Callie said she'd help, too."

Caleb slipped his hand into Peeta's. "Bye, Mama."

Katniss leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I love you. Stay out of the way. Listen to Peeta."

"I will." He promised.

Katniss said, "Thank you, Peeta. I owe you big. Maybe Callie can come hang out with us one afternoon."

Peeta nodded. "This is no problem."

She nodded and called to Caleb, "See you in a little bit."

"Bye, Mama." He waved.

Peeta walked Katniss out and then took Caleb into the back where Callie was sitting decorating a cake. "You guys want to make cookies?"

"You should take Caleb on a tour first." Callie suggested. "That's what you do with all the new people."

"That's true. Come on, Caleb. Let me show you how cakes and cookies and pies and all the yummy things you can ever think of are made." He took Caleb's backpack off his shoulders. "Coming, Cal?"

She shook her head. "I think I'm finally getting the hang of this."

"Okay. We'll be in the kitchen."

She nodded and kept working.

Peeta led Caleb into the next room. "First stop is the break room. You can have your very own locker today." Peeta walked over and opened one and hooked Caleb's backpack in it. He smiled. "Number 7. Can you remember that?"

Caleb nodded.

"There's a bathroom through there." He pointed to a door on the other end. "Do you have to go?"

Caleb shook his head.

"Okay, let me know if you do. It's sometimes confusing to come back here from the kitchen, so I'll bring you back."

He nodded.

Peeta motioned him back out. "That room we were just in is the decoration room. That's where all the cakes go from just a cake to a really pretty piece of art."

Caleb slipped his hand into Peeta's. The man looked down and smiled and squeezed. Caleb squeezed back.

Peeta smiled. "My grandpa opened this shop a long time ago. I think my dad was about your age. My dad grew up here learning all about baking and decorating. And then he took over and I grew up here and learned all the same things."

"And now Callie is." Caleb said.

Peeta nodded. "Now Callie is." He stopped and lifted Caleb up to look through a window. "There's the kitchen. It's the only thing that's ever changed big around here. When I took over, I shut the place down for a while and had the kitchen expanded, made bigger. It was so tiny before, everyone kept bumping into each other. But now there's plenty of room." He sat Caleb down. "Let me show you."

Inside it was a little noisy from various mixers and machines, but not too bad. Peeta showed him every section. They now had stations fully equipped for a few specific things: a place just for making cakes, one for breads, one for pies, and one for cookies.

"Now we can make everything quickly because a person needing to make cookies doesn't have to wait for a person mixing a cake batter to be done." Peeta said. He pulled over a stool and sat Caleb on it. "What kind of cookies to do you like?"

"Chocolate chip." Caleb said confidently.

"Then let's make some chocolate chip cookies." He got out the ingredients for a batch and they got to work.

After a while, Caleb said, "My dad's a bad man."

"Is he?" Peeta asked softly.

Caleb nodded. "He used to hurt my mom."

Peeta didn't know what to say.

"Mama took me to live with Aunt Prim when I was a baby."

"Did he ever hurt you?" Peeta asked softly.

Caleb shook his head. "Mama says no."

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah."

Peeta handed him a spoon to lick while he scooped the cookies onto a pan.

"Did Callie's mama die?" Caleb asked after a while.

Peeta took a deep breath and nodded. "She did."

"What happens when people die?" Caleb asked.

Peeta smiled. "Well, a lot of people have different opinions. A lot of people think they go to a special place called Heaven."

"Is that where Callie's mama went?"

"I believe so." He smiled.

"Do you like to bake?" Caleb asked, very quickly changing the subject like any kid.

Peeta chuckled. "I love to bake."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Lots of reasons. I like to decorate the cakes the most, though."

"Can I see?" He asked.

"Sure. Let's get these in the oven and we can go back to the decoration room." Peeta set a timer after the cookies were in the oven. He told someone to listen for it and picked Caleb up to ride piggy-back through the halls. The boy giggled and urged the man faster. Peeta laughed and complied. He bounced and galloped and swung around and then dropped Caleb safely on a chair beside Callie. He looked over her work and pointed. "A little inconsistent there. Was that from when you first started?"

She nodded and finished her latest swoop. She put the piping bag down and flexed her hand. "I think I'm getting better."

"You _are_ getting better." He kissed the top of her head and then walked to the cooler. He pulled out a long rectangular sheet cake and sat it on the table in front of them. There was a delicate fleur-de-lis pattern all across it done by hand. Around the border were many of the same sort of swoops Callie had been working on.

Caleb said in awe, "That must have taken _years_."

Peeta chuckled. "Only a couple of hours."

"My dad's great, huh?" Callie asked.

"Amazing." Caleb breathed.

"You want to decorate a cake to bring home?" Peeta asked.

"Sure!"

He put the big cake back and took out another small round one like Callie was working on. "What color do you like?" He took out a piping bag and scooped some frosting out of the big tub into a bowl.

"Blue. Like the sky." Caleb said.

Peeta nodded and put a few drops of blue food coloring into the white frosting. As he mixed, the white turned the perfect shade of sky blue. "Does that work?"

Caleb nodded.

"Good." Peeta folded the end of the bag over his hand and filled it with the dyed frosting. He tied off the end and sat it on the table. Then he picked an apron from the wall and tied it over the boy's head and around his middle to cover as much of his clothes as possible. "Okay, now, I'm going to help you at first. It's a little tricky." He got down in front of him so their eyes met. "This is the first time you've ever done this, so it's going to be messy and not look like what Callie is doing or what I've done, but everyone has to start somewhere."

Caleb nodded. "Okay."

Peeta stepped behind him and showed him how to hold the piping bag. They worked together silently for a long time and then Peeta stepped back and let him work on his own.

"Here they are." Delly said kindly from the doorway.

Peeta looked up and smiled at Katniss. "Oh, you're back."

Caleb looked up and smiled proudly. "Mama, look! Peeta let me decorate a cake. He said I can bring it home."

She walked over and smoothed down his hair. "It looks good."

"Thanks!"

Peeta asked, "Katniss, can I speak with you alone a moment?"

She nodded and followed him to the other end of the room.

"Caleb said... He told me about his dad. He said he was mean to you."

Katniss took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He was abusive, yes."

"I'd gathered as much from the other day, but I didn't... Are you safe? You and Caleb?"

She smiled gratefully. "I am. We are. He and I are fine."

"If you ever need anything, a place to stay or someone to come over and make you feel more secure, you can call me. Callie and I could be right over."

"Thank you." She looked to her son. "We should go, Caleb."

"Would you like to stay for dinner? I've got a roast in the slow-cooker. And some biscuits I froze just last Sunday."

Katniss thought a moment and then said, "Okay, sure."

"I have an hour or so left here." He shook his head. "You know what? I own the place. Delly can close up for once." He walked into the front of the shop and then came back after a couple minutes. "Put it all away, Cal." Peeta took a small box from a shelf in the back and sat it on the table beside Caleb's cake. "You can take this home." He put the cake into the box and pushed it toward Caleb.

"I never want to eat it." He said reverently as he looked at the box.

Katniss ruffled his hair and kissed his head. "But I bet it's delicious."

"We can eat my practice." Callie said.

"You did a good job, Callie." Katniss said.

"Thanks!" The girl beamed.

"Come on, let go hang out. I'll finish supper." Peeta said.

"Hey, Caleb, want to play some video games?" Callie asked as they walked through the door.

"Do you have Mario Kart? Finn's been letting me play at his house and I'm getting better."

"Yeah, I do." They sat together on the couch.

Katniss followed Peeta into the kitchen.

"About what happened at camp the other day—"

"Don't." She shook her head. "It's not right. We can be friends, but we can't be anything else. I'm your daughter's coach."

"You are." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So what happened today?"

"Cato is going to sign over his rights." She looked over at the pair in the living room.

"So what does that mean?" Peeta put some biscuits in the oven.

"It means that legally, he doesn't have a father. And if I ever marry someone, my husband can adopt Caleb if he wants."

He watched her a moment and then nodded. "That's good."

"Very good." Katniss smiled. She leaned against the counter. "Will you tell me about Alex?"

"Only if you tell me about Cato." Peeta countered

She chewed her lip and then nodded. "Fair enough."

"Alex and I dated off and on for a long time. And I liked her a lot. I fell in love with her. And we made Callie. And we got married. And I loved her more and more every day. And then she was taken from us. I know I shouldn't still, but I mourn her."  
"Is she the reason you don't date?"

He nodded.

Katniss was quiet a moment and then said, "Cato hurt me with his words and with his hands. And when I have nightmares, they are about him hurting me or taking Caleb from me." She clenched her teeth. "I don't want to cry on your shoulder again."

"You can if you need. I don't mind."

She asked softly, "Are you expecting me to kiss you again?"

He leaned closer to her. "I'd be lying if I said no."

She took a deep breath and turned her head away. "We can't."

"We shouldn't, but we can."

"Peeta, I…"

"Don't bother." He took the biscuits out of the oven and sat them on top of the stove.

Katniss looked over her shoulder to make sure the kids were engrossed in their game. She stepped up to Peeta and grabbed his face. She pressed her lips to his. She did it again, just a little longer. She whispered, "A very bad idea." She kissed him once more and then moved to the other end of the kitchen.

Peeta watched her with wide eyes a moment. He turned away and started gathering plates from the cabinet. He handed them to Katniss. "Will you set the table?"

She nodded and took the plates. Their fingers brushed.

"Yep, a bad idea." He said softly as he started assembling the food.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note: So ready for you guys to read this one! Thank you so much for all the reads, reviews, follows, and favorites._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twelve

Peeta was just finishing putting the grill in place when Katniss pulled into the driveway. Caleb launched himself out and ran over.

"Peeta, Mom let me bring my water guns!" The boy exclaimed.

"Awesome! I have some water balloons Callie spent most of the morning filling. And Finnick said they'd bring a sprinkler." He looked up when Katniss walked over with a container and a bag slung over her shoulder. "Hi."

"Hi." She stopped short and indicated the container. "I brought potato salad. But it's from the grocery deli. I couldn't make potato salad to save my life. And extra clothes for me and Caleb, just in case. I hate to be wet."

He chuckled. "You can stash that potato salad the fridge until time to eat. And your clothes can go in the bathroom. There's a hook on the back of the door."

She nodded and stood awkwardly for a moment. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and then hurried inside. "Why did you do that?" She asked herself as she opened the fridge.

"Did you say something, Katniss?" Callie asked.

Katniss closed the refrigerator door. "Just talking to myself."

"I hear that's not healthy." The girl said with a grin.

Katniss laughed. "It's just a thing that people do sometimes." She draped an arm around Callie's shoulders. "So, Miss Calliope, what do you know?"

"Not much. You know no one calls me Calliope." She said.

"Sorry. If you don't like it, I won't do it again."

Callie shrugged. "Most people say it wrong anyway. But if you want to call me Calliope, I wouldn't mind." She gave the woman a bright smile. "I like when you're around. Dad's eyes aren't quite as cloudy."

Katniss gave her a squeeze. "You and your dad are great friends to Caleb and me."

"Yeah." Callie sighed. "Oh, hey, Finn is here."

"Awesome." She patted Callie's back as she walked away.

"Katniss!" Finn called and ran over to meet them. "Did you bring your bow?"

Katniss laughed. "I don't carry the bow with me everywhere, kid. Sorry."

Annie said, "Don't be a bother, Finn." She threw an arm over her son's shoulders. "This one grew a new appreciation for you, Katniss." She leaned in and stage whispered, "And I think he's a little in love with you."

"Mom!" His cheeks turned bright red and he grabbed Callie's arm and pulled her away. "Let's help my dad set stuff up."

Both women laughed. Annie turned to Katniss and said, "So how's it going?"

"Not too bad." Katniss said. "Caleb and I have been hanging out and sleeping in the last couple weeks. Well, I want to sleep in, but my body and my kid won't let me half the time, but I'm trying."

"I hear ya." Annie said with a chuckle. "But Finnick brings me breakfast in bed about once a month. And I get to be pampered for just a few minutes."

"Lucky woman." Katniss looked toward Peeta a moment. Caleb stood at his side, asking questions. Peeta was patiently answering.

"You could be a lucky woman, too." Annie said. "I'm sure Peeta would pamper you every day."

Katniss shook her head. "I don't date. And I know Peeta doesn't either."

Annie shrugged. "That's fine. But don't completely discredit him. Or yourself."

Katniss nodded and followed Annie toward the grill where the others gathered.

Peeta smiled and said, "After this thing warms up, I'll get some burgers and hot dogs on. Caleb said he was ready for water time."

"Me too!" Finnick exclaimed.

Finn gave an evil grin and pulled a water balloon out from behind his back. "Then you should probably run, Dad." He threw the balloon and took off for the other end of the yard.

Katniss laughed and took off after the rest of them. She and Finnick teamed up against the kids and lost horribly. By the time all the balloons were gone, they were drenched. Annie handed them each a towel and they left the kids to play with the water guns and the sprinkler. They sat at the table near the grill.

Gale and Prim arrived shortly after. Prim sat beside Katniss with a groan.

Gale said, "We're late because the morning sickness is terrible. And I didn't realize morning sickness was all day."

Katniss made a sympathetic face at her sister and rubbed her arm. "I'd hug you, but I'm soaking wet."

"I don't care." Prim moved her chair closer and curled up against Katniss's side. "I feel like shit. I've barely left my bed except to puke up my guts in the bathroom. And that grill is about to kill me."

"Peeta, do you have some peppermint extract?" Katniss asked.

He nodded. "I do. At the bakery. Why?"

"If she drinks some peppermint in tea, she should feel a little better. I hope." She kissed her sister's temple and squeezed her.

Peeta nodded. "I'll get it and be right back. Finnick, will you keep an eye on this?"

"No problem." Finnick stood and took the spatula.

"Katniss, there are some tea bags in the cabinet above the stove. The kettle should be ready to go."

Katniss smiled. "Thanks." She gently pushed Prim away. "Cuddle with your husband."

Prim grumbled some more. "Why would I want to do that? That jerk got me into this condition."

Gale said, "Don't blame me, I wanted to wait." He pulled her onto his lap and rubbed her back. She fit perfectly under his chin.

Katniss and Peeta went in separate directions. Katniss put the water on to boil and then let herself into the bathroom to change out of her wet clothes. She started singing softly to herself and continued the song as she walked into the kitchen to make the tea.

Peeta stood there. He shook himself. "You're like a siren."

"A siren? Those sea creatures that led sailors to their deaths?"

He smiled. "You could very well be the death of someone." He poured the water from the kettle into a cup and then put a few drops from a peppermint vial into it. "Alex never got sick."

"I think it's the Everdeen genes. I was almost constantly ill the first month with Caleb." She took the tea from him and their fingers brushed.

"Maybe Alex got sick and I never knew." He shrugged.

She stepped closer. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He grinned and tilted his head to the side. "What about one of those bad idea kisses?"

She shook her head and stepped away. "Not right now." She turned and hurried out to hand Prim the tea. "Drink that. Maybe it will help."

Prim took the cup and sipped. "Hot tea reminds me of Dad." She continued to lean against Gale and sipped slowly.

Peeta came out of the house with his arms loaded down with side dishes and condiments. Annie hopped up and helped him put everything out.

"Do you need anything else from the house?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah, the paper plates are on the counter and some forks are…" Peeta scrunched up his face. "I forgot to get plastic forks. We'll use actual forks. I have a dishwasher."

"I remember where the silverware drawer is." She started to head to the house.

"How many times have you been over here?" Finnick asked with a cheeky grin. "I hope you are being safe. And waiting until the kids are asleep."

Peeta shoved him. "Shut up, man. We're friends."

The kids paused in their playing long enough to eat then immediately went back to the water. The adults watched them a while as they ate a more leisurely pace.

Finnick said, "I have a serious question I have been thinking about for a while, Peeta."

Peeta and Annie exchanged a look. Peeta sighed and said, "I shouldn't say this, but what is the question?"

"How do you how do you handle your sexual desires?"

"Finnick, that really isn't appropriate." Annie said.

"No, but I'm curious." Finnick said. "You can't have gone nine years living as a monk."

Peeta blushed. "Not that it's any of your business, but I haven't needed a woman to fulfill those needs. It would be nice, but no one has ever matched up to Alex."

Finnick shook his head. "You were eighteen."

"And so was Annie when you married her. You have gone nine years with the same person. I'm sure it's close to the same thing." He looked pointedly at Annie. "Except we know it happens every once in a while."

Annie patted her husband's hand. "Stop."

"But I wanted to ask Katniss." He whined.

Katniss looked down. "All of my experiences with sex weren't positive. So it's not been a big sacrifice for me to be celibate."

"Like you didn't get off?" Finnick asked.

She looked in in the eye. "Like I was forced." She got up and mumbled about needing to use the bathroom and walked quickly away.

There was an awkward silence.

Finnick said, "I didn't know."

Prim said, "Hardly anyone does. You all just assume Cato's abuse was in the form of hurting her when he thought she stepped out of line or yelling at her. But it was everywhere. He had control. She hated that he had control and it took her a long time to get hers back."

Peeta got up and followed. He found the bathroom door closed and heard Katniss on the other side saying something to herself.

"My name is Katniss Everdeen. I'm twenty-seven years old. My son is Caleb. My sister is Prim. My best friend is Gale."

"Katniss?"

She stopped abruptly and opened the door. "I'm okay. I just don't like to think about it."

He nodded. "I understand."

She twisted her hands. "I'm fine."

"Are you really?" He stepped closer. "Because I have ears waiting to listen."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm fine."

He placed a hand on the side of her face and rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone. "Want to follow a bad idea again?"

She smiled. "Yes."

He leaned close. "You don't mind a kiss?"

"I don't." She met him the rest of the way for a soft series of kisses.

He finally stepped back and leaned against the opposite wall. "You want to hang out one of these days? Just us?"

"I don't date, Peeta. And you don't either."

"Friends can hang out. Friends can see movies together, grab a beer, talk. A man and a woman can be friends and spend time together and it not be a date." He wasn't sure exactly who he was trying to convince.

She nodded. "I'll think about it."

"Good." He nodded. "And the kids like to hang out. So we can do things all together." He smiled. "Can I have another kiss?"

She shook her head. "Caleb and I should get going."

"Yeah, okay." He motioned her ahead of him.

She stepped out of the house and called, "Caleb, get your things together and say your goodbyes."

Finnick met her. "I am so sorry, Katniss. I can be an asshole sometimes."

Katniss shook her head. "It's something I don't think about most of the time and I don't even talk about it. Don't bring it up again and we'll be okay."

"Promise." He leaned in, "Gale and I can figure out a way to kill him or at least maim him."

"I'd help." Peeta said with a reassuring smile. He reached over and plucked something off her shoulder. "You had a piece of fluff."

"Thanks." She smiled.

Caleb threw his arms around Peeta. "I want to come back soon."

Peeta dropped to his knees in front of the boy. "I'll talk with your mom about that. I liked helping you decorate the cake the other day. Maybe we can do that again."

"I'd like it." Caleb looked up at Katniss. "Mama, please?"

"Sure." She smiled at Peeta. "I'll text you."

"Good." Peeta ruffled Caleb's hair as he stood. He said softly, "I'll be waiting patiently."

"Get it." Finnick said.

Annie slapped his stomach with the back of her hand. "Stop it, Finnick."

"Yes, dear." He rubbed his stomach. "You're so mean to me."

"Well, if you'd keep your mouth shut sometimes, I wouldn't have to clean up your messes." She gave him an adoring smile. "Your cute mouth."

He grinned and covered her mouth with his.

Katniss shook her head. "We'll see you around." She and Caleb finished packing up and left. She kind of wished she had let Peeta have that last kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: Another Chapter coming your way this evening. In the mean time, enjoy!_

 _Trigger warning: A little talk of child abuse in here._

 _Happy reading._

Chapter Thirteen

Peeta dialed Katniss's number and tapped his fingers anxiously as it rang. He jumped when he heard her voice on the other end. "Hi. It's Peeta."

"Yeah, hi, Peeta." She said. "What's going on?"

"I was sitting here bored and wondered if you would like to meet up for a drink."

"Um, well, I have to ask if Caleb can spend time with Prim and Gale."

"Okay, just let me know." He hung up. He looked around the kitchen of his house and sighed. Callie was spending the evening with Annie, getting pampered and doing some shopping. He wasn't used to being alone. He hated being alone. His phone buzzed and he quickly picked it up.

It was a text with an address. Katniss sent another text right after. " _Meet me there in 15?_ "

" _Sure._ " He typed back. He put on his shoes and went around the house turning out the lights and closing up. He sat and stared at the clock on his phone for a few more minutes until he figured he could make it without being too early.

He stepped into the bar. A man behind the bar nodded to him as he walked over. Peeta ordered a beer and sat down.

"So what's your story?" The bartender asked as he passed a bottle over.

"My story?" Peeta chuckled. "Not much of one. I'm meeting a friend here. She gave me the address."

The bartender nodded. "You like her, but she doesn't like you."

"What makes you think—?"

Katniss slipped into the chair beside him. "Hey, Haymitch."

"The usual?" Haymitch asked.

"No, I'll have what he's having this time." She smiled. She turned to Peeta. "Hi."

"Hi." Peeta grinned. He reached up and rubbed her back for a few seconds and then dropped his hand.

"Let's move to a table." She picked up her bottle and slid off the stool and moved to a nearby table. "So what have you been up to today?"

"Working." He looked down at his phone as it buzzed. "Cal." He smiled and typed out a response.

"She miss you?"

"Yeah. She's getting ready to spend a few days with Alex's parents."

"Does she get to do that a lot?"

He nodded. "They all like it. She gets stories about her mom from the best source and they get to keep the connection. With school starting next week, they're getting the whole week. Gonna miss that kid." He answered another text. "Has Caleb ever met the other side of his family? I know you have kept him away from Cato."

Katniss shook her head. "Cato's mom died when we were in high school. His stepdad took custody and he was a jerk. Cato never talked about it, but I know that his biological dad was killed by Cato's mother. She swore self-defense. He was coming at her with a knife and she defended herself with a bat or something and got him badly enough to take his life. But she was a meek woman and her second husband was gruff. He said and did things in my presence that you don't say to people. And I saw Cato more times than I can count with black eyes and bruises. His grandmother was really sweet. I would have let Caleb have time with her, but she died when Caleb was still a baby and I was still in the middle of recovering. So, no, he doesn't see any on that side of his family. And they aren't his family anymore." She chewed her lip a moment and then took a sip from her beer.

Peeta sighed, "I keep putting my foot in it, don't I?"

She shook her head. "That's just been my life. And I want you to know about it. All my friends do. It's been a while since I made a new friend, though."

He patted her hand. "I only need to know what you want me to know. And you don't have to say it all at once. Let's talk about something else. I'll tell you my dark secrets." He sat back. "I have two older brothers. And we don't talk except when we have to. One is a doctor, the other is on track to being some bigwig in an office. They sided with my mother about Alex. It hurt my dad to think that they didn't have their own minds by then. Married and with kids. Both of them. But they did it in the right order."

"There is no right order."

"Not according to my mother." Peeta started picking at the label of his bottle.

Katniss waved at Haymitch and indicated both their bottles.

He came over. "You sure you want more, sweetheart? You hardly ever stay long enough to drink more than one."

"That's when I'm drinking something harder. We need another round, please."

Haymitch nodded, "You got it."

"So this is your place, huh?" Peeta asked as the other man walked away.

"In a way." She smiled and asked, "So how did you get the bakery?"

He chuckled. "I begged my dad. He wanted all three of us to have it, but Parker said he was too busy with his practice and Paul just didn't want it. So I went to dad and I said, 'I know this business like the back of my hand and I want it. I deserve it.' And he said yes."

Haymitch sat down two bottles of beer in front of them and large plate of fries. "On the house."

"Haymitch." Katniss warned.

He shrugged and walked away.

Peeta smiled, "A pretty face gets free food everywhere."

"Is that why you give me free food? Because you think I'm pretty."

He shook his head. "The first time was because you took time out of your busy morning to get Callie to camp. You didn't have to do that. I could have brought her that day. But you came. All the others were because we're friends. Finnick, Annie, all my friends get free treats."

"You'll go broke."

"They end up bird food if they don't get eaten. So I give them to someone in the end." He smiled and picked up a fry.

She returned his smile.

Peeta's phone went off again. "I'm sorry, she's about to drive me nuts."

Katniss chuckled. "It's fine."

He opened the text and smiled. He turned the phone around. "Annie gave her a manicure."

She took the phone and looked at the job done. "That's pretty." She handed the phone back. "Did you ever let her paint yours?"

He chuckled and nodded as he typed out a response. He stuck his phone back in his pocket. "This one time she was five and she got this kit from my father for Christmas. She convinced me to let her give me a makeover. She did my nails, makeup all over my face, even put some barrettes in my hair. She wouldn't let me clean it off. Dad took pictures. I'm sure they are in a photo album somewhere. But the worst part is, Dad neglected to realize he also needed to purchase anything to remove nail polish. So the next day, I worked with pink nail polish."

Katniss laughed. "That's amazing."

Peeta shrugged. "I went out after my shift and found nail polish remover and made sure to keep it around. But I sported nail polish a few more times because she begged me not to take it off for a while. And whatever Cal wants, Cal gets."

She smiled. "We do what we can to make our kids happy, don't we?"

He nodded. "What's something Caleb made you do to embarrass you?"

She thought a moment. "He found this hat that had these clapping hands and made noises and he thought I needed it. I don't like to call attention to myself, so I was going to conveniently lose it after the first day. But he kept finding it and made me wear it when we left the house for a couple weeks. And he made it make the noise every chance he got and people were staring at me and I was so ready to burn that thing." She laughed.

He joined her. "That's hilarious."

"It was pretty funny." She finished her beer and ate a few fries. "I wanted to say thank you."

"What for?"

"When you asked to kiss me the other day. Instead of just doing it."

He shrugged. "I never want you to think that I'm going to take advantage of you. That's the last thing I want. If you ever want a kiss from me, you just take it. But I will ask every time because you deserve to have your say."

"Well, thank you." She wiped at an unexpected tear.

"Want to get out of here?"

"And go where? I can't leave Caleb with Prim all night."

"We don't have to go anywhere special. Just drive around a bit." He shrugged. "If you want."

She thought a moment and then nodded. "Sure."

Peeta paid for their drinks and Katniss slipped several bills across to Haymitch for a tip.

"See you around, Haymitch." She said.

Haymitch stuffed the cash in his pocket and nodded. "See you later, sweetheart. Have fun on the rest of your date."

"It's not a date." They both said at once.

"You were looking pretty chummy." He pointed out.

Katniss shook her head and walked out the door in front of Peeta. They stood outside in the warm night for several silent moments.

Katniss said, "I know a place we can go." She pulled her keys out of her pocket. "We can come back for your car in a little while."

"Are you okay to drive?"

"I am." She headed for her car and pushed the unlock button. She slid into the driver's seat and waited for him to join her. "I want to show you something." She pulled out and drove toward the outskirts of town.

"Are we going to camp?" He asked.

"Not quite." She pulled off on a side road and took a few winding turns until she came to a stop at an observation point. She got out and leaned against the front of her car.

He followed and leaned with her. Over a little barrier, there was a valley with many lights from the houses and the streetlamps. Through the center ran a small river.

"I wanted the camp to be here." She said softly. "It's so pretty in the daylight. It's pretty now." She looked over. "But I had these horrible images of Caleb falling down this hill or one of the other kids doing it. It's frightening enough thinking of your own child injured, but other people's kids is even more worrisome. That's someone's baby."

He watched her a while and then turned his head back to the view. "It's beautiful out here. But I understand the concern."

"I still drive out here when I have a few minutes to myself." She hesitated a moment and then leaned against him.

He slipped his arm around her. "Is this okay?"

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. They stood there quietly for a while. It was peaceful. Katniss lifted her head after a moment and pulled Peeta's face gently to look at her. She pressed her lips to his briefly and then moved away.

"We should go." She said.

He nodded. "One more kiss?"

She shook her head and got in the car. He followed silently. After he put on his seatbelt, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. He turned his head and she kissed his lips again. She rested her head against his a moment and then sat down once more in her seat. She dropped him at his car and drove on to pick up Caleb.

He watched her leave. He felt empty and lonely. But not for his late wife this time, for Katniss. He just wanted to hold her.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Trigger warning: There's some talk in here of rape/forced intercourse.**_

 _Author's note: Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and following. Please let me know if anything ever comes off as insensitive or inaccurate. I never want to represent anything falsely. I am happy with the events here and I hope you like them as well._

 _Happy reading._

Chapter Fourteen

Peeta was talking to Callie when there was a knock on the door. "It's pretty late, Cal. I'll let you go. I have to get to bed soon."

"Okay. I love you, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." He hung up and opened the door. "Katniss, hello."

She waved. "Hi. Sorry, I should have tried calling or texting. Caleb is spending the night with Prim and Gale and I have been at home bored all evening and I remembered Callie was gone and you were probably just as bored, so I came over." She held up a DVD. "I brought a cheesy nineties movie if you want."

He smiled and waved her in. "Come in. I'm sorry. Yeah, I was bored. Just talking to Cal, actually."

He closed the door and Katniss put her things on the table beside the door. She looked up at Peeta and sighed. "I don't know why I came over."

He chuckled. "You can't resist my company? You missed me because we haven't talked in a while? You were bored because your son is gone and you craved companionship?"

She grabbed his face and pressed a kiss to his mouth. His arms wrapped around her waist. She opened her mouth and deepened the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss continued for a while. Katniss pushed herself closer and Peeta responded. A moan escaped Peeta's throat.

And then she stopped the kiss just as suddenly as she started it. She pushed his arms away and walked into the living room. She stood in front of an old family picture. She recognized Peeta as a young teen.

"I've thought about taking that down so many times." He said from behind her.

She looked over her shoulder. "Why haven't you?"

He shrugged. "A reminder, I guess. That things aren't always as they seem. She looks kind. But on the way to the portrait studio that day, she was berating all of us for different things. My shirt was wrinkled. Paul had been out late with his girlfriend the night before. Parker had spilled something all over his pants and had to change and we were running late. And my dad was trying to mediate and she said he was too soft on us. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, she suddenly stopped and put a smile on her face and it stayed there until we were home and she started up again telling us all they ways we'd messed up while we were there."

"So you keep this up to remind yourself that your mom's a major bitch when no one's around?"

He laughed. "Pretty much."

She looked at a few more of the pictures and then she turned. "I fell asleep on the couch watching TV and I had a nightmare. And Caleb wasn't around for me to remind myself that everything was okay and I didn't want to show up at Prim and Gale's and…" She sighed. "I feel calmer around you. And Callie told me that you're eyes aren't as cloudy when I'm around and I figured we both needed a little time to even each other out."

"That sound like a good idea." He motioned toward the couch. "Let's sit."

She did and waited for him to join her. Then she scooted closer and leaned into his side.

He wrapped his arm around her.

"The first time it happened I was thirteen." She said softly.

He looked down. "Hm?"

"The first time Cato forced himself on me."

Peeta tensed up. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because no one else knows. And I want you to know."

"Why?"

Katniss looked up. "I don't know. I just do."

"Okay." He relaxed.

"He was fifteen. We'd kind of been dating. My mom was working. My dad had been dead a year or so. Prim and I stayed with Gale's family a lot, but I snuck out. He gave me wine coolers he took from home. And I was drunk one night off of a few. He touched me and I didn't know how to react. So I just let it happen. It was uncomfortable. But then it became normal."

"Did you ever… love him?" He asked awkwardly. Was that even a question he could ask?

She took several seconds to answer. "I thought I did. Because I thought he loved me. When I realized neither of us did, it was too late. I was too far in and I was scared. It took a long time for me tell Prim and Gale the truth. He tried to cut me off from everyone, but I kept them. I had more friends when I was a kid, but then I got older and they all started going away and I noticed all my friends were actually his friends."

"He isolated you."

"Yeah."

"Do you think it would have happened if your dad had been alive?"

"Probably not."

Peeta ran his hand down Katniss's arm. "You deserve romance."

"I deserve a man who won't force me into anything."

"Yes. And that cares about your feelings. A man who cares that you feel appreciated."

She asked softly, "Are you that man?"

"I'm just your friend." He said, very unconvincingly.

She sat back and looked at him. "Yes. Just friends." She placed her hand on the side of his face and kissed him deeply.

He gently pushed her away. "What do you want, Katniss?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"When was the last time you…?"

"It's been a while."

"For me too." He picked up the end of her braid and rubbed it between his fingers. "We can be friends who kiss, right?"

She shook her head and moved away. "I don't know if it will work." She rubbed her face.

"We can make it work. Because I like you. And we calm each other, like you said. A few kisses between friends isn't bad." He sighed. "Do you get lonely, Katniss? In bed at night when there's no one else there and you know there should be?"

"Yes."

"My marriage was only a few months, but I got used to it. Sometimes I wonder if we'd even still be married if she had lived."

Katniss looked up at the clock. "You have to get up early. I should leave and let you settle in for bed."

"Can I make a request first?"

"Okay."

"Stay? I don't expect sex or even any more kisses, but I want to see if the bed is empty because I romanticize my late wife or because I'm just lonely."

She thought a moment. "I don't have anything to sleep in."

"I may have something. But only if you want to. You don't have to. I promise I won't think any differently of you either way."

"Okay." She said again. A smile played on her lips.

"And you're free to leave at any point if you become uncomfortable or if you just want to."

She nodded.

He walked into his bedroom and returned with a shirt and a pair of pants with a drawstring. "You can take the bathroom."

Katniss took the bundle and followed Peeta to the other end of the house. She changed in the bathroom while he quickly did the same in his bedroom. She tapped on the door and he opened it wearing similar attire. She smiled and ducked inside.

"Which side of the bed do you prefer?" She asked.

"The middle." He chuckled. "I tend to spread out sometimes. So this may not work after all."

She laughed and moved to the side closest to the door. "We can make it work." She pulled down the blanket and slipped under it. "Is this okay?"

He nodded. "I'll lock up and be right back."

She sat on the bed and looked around. It was a small room in comparison to the bed in it. There were paintings on all the walls except for one that was all closet doors. One was opened and she saw a messy dresser behind it. She saw many of the paintings were in an inexperienced hand and he wondered if they were his from when he was a boy or if they were Callie's.

She heard the toilet flush and then the light went out in the hallway. Peeta stepped into the bedroom and smiled. Katniss pulled the blanket down on the other side of the bed. He slipped in and stretched out on his side. He watched her a moment and then he rolled over and turned out the lamp.

"Goodnight, Katniss."

"Goodnight, Peeta." She kissed his cheek and then turned to her side away from him.

They lay in silence, neither sleeping. Katniss rolled over and saw Peeta watching her.

"You can come closer." She said.

He smiled. "You sure?"

She nodded and moved to the center of the bed.

He followed. There were still several inches between them. "Alex liked to cuddle."

"Cato liked to hold me possessively."

He examined her face. "Can I find him and beat him up for you?"

She smiled. "I appreciate the gesture, but it's unnecessary."

"Has your life been better?"

"It has. And it just keeps getting that way." She moved closer and draped an arm around his waist. "Put your arm around me."

He obeyed. "Like this?"

"Mm-hm." She closed her eyes and a smile played on her lips.

"Would you like to come with me to pick up Callie from her grandparents tomorrow?"

Her eyes opened. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I'll let you know in the morning." She closed her eyes again. "Get some sleep. You have an early morning."

He chuckled. "Yes, ma'am." He closed his eyes.

* * *

When Peeta's alarm went off at three, he woke with Katniss draped across his chest. He reached over to turn it off and she rolled away. She watched him get out of bed and find his clothes.

"You can sleep as long as you want. I'll bring you some fresh cheese buns in a few hours." He smiled and left her alone.

But his smile dropped the moment he was closed up in the bathroom. He undressed and grumbled at his erection. It had been almost constant from the moment she walked into his room. How he had managed to sleep with such discomfort was a miracle. But he supposed he was used to it by now.

He turned on the shower. Cold water would be good. But as he stood under it, it didn't help in the least. He was still stiff and aching. He warmed the water up and went to work relieving the pressure beneath his own hand. This was the thing he'd grown tired of. He could deal with it the rest of his life, but pleasuring himself was still annoying.

He worked hard to keep quiet and not call out the name of the woman in the other room he was thinking of as he grew closer to his release. It was something he'd been doing long enough it was second nature, but the moans still occasionally escaped. And as he finally met his climax, he gasped so loudly he was sure Katniss heard.

He leaned against the wall and let the water wash over him and down the drain. As soon as he was recovered enough, he quickly finished his bathing before the hot water ran out. Peeta heard the clanking of cups in the kitchen when he turned off the shower. _Oh, god, did she just hear all that fully awake?_ He refused to be embarrassed about it. It was a normal think to do. He was sure she did it, too.

She just hadn't ever done it with him in the same house.

He dressed and walked into the kitchen to find her making tea.

"Do you mind? I tried getting back to sleep, but failed. I thought we'd have a little breakfast together and I'd head home."

"I don't mind." He took the offered cup. "Thank you."

She turned some bacon in a pan. "Thank _you_ for last night. I haven't slept so well in a long time."

"No nightmares?"

"None." She smiled and finished cooking while he sipped his tea. "Is that okay?"

He nodded. "Delicious. I usually drink coffee in the morning, though."

"I can make you some."

He shook his head. "Tea is fine. If you drink tea, I'll drink tea."

She put the bacon on a plate and cracked some eggs into the pan. "It depends on how tired I am when I wake up. And if I have somewhere to be."

"You're wide awake now it seems."

"I guess when I sleep through without a nightmare it helps."

Peeta nodded. "Yes, definitely." He accepted the plate Katniss handed him.

She sat down beside him with her own plate and grinned. "So when do we leave to get Callie?"

He smiled. "I'll leave at about four. It's an hour up there. We stop at this diner every time. I order the same thing and Cal makes fun of me."

She chuckled. "Sounds like fun."

"I can pick you and Caleb up."

"Okay, yeah, that sounds good." She took a bite of her bacon.

"Callie's grandparents are going to ask about you. I'm sure she's told them quite a bit. I hope you aren't uncomfortable going there. We're just friends. Finnick and Finn have made this trip with me quite a few times."

"How many times do we have to say it to ourselves? It's what we are. I won't justify our friendship or how we define it to anyone, even ourselves. All right?"

"All right." He nodded. He finished eating. "Can I get a kiss before work?"

She smiled and nodded.

He leaned in and kissed her softly. "Lock up when you leave, please."

"Will do."

"And don't worry about cleaning the dishes. I'll get them later."

"You sure?"

He sat on the couch and pulled in his shoes. "I am."

She met him at the door. "Thanks again."

"No problem." He smiled and leaned in. "One more kiss?"

She met him the rest of the way.

"Don't touch those dishes." He warned playfully.

"We'll see." She closed the door behind him and then went about cleaning up the kitchen. She changed back into her clothes and drove home to sleep for a few more hours.


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's note: A lot of stuff getting more intense! Thank you so much for all the love you are giving this! I am impressed by the numbers increasing by the day. And all the kind words so many of you have left here and on Tumblr make the day better. I love you all. If you follow me on Tumblr (booksrockmyface), you already got a couple little tastes of this. I hope it goes in the direction you were expecting._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Fifteen

Katniss opened the door to find Peeta on the other side. He leaned in and asked, "Can I—"

"No." She cut him off. She whispered, "Not in front of the kids or anyone. This is our secret." She smiled and stepped in. "Caleb, go pee, we have a long ride ahead of us."

"Already done!" He came running out of the bathroom and shook his dripping hands at Peeta with his high, giddy laugh. "I'm glad to see you." Caleb threw his arms around the man's waist.

Peeta returned the hug pounding a rhythm on his back. "I'm glad to see you, too." He kneeled down and tapped his nose. "Ready for a small road trip?"

"Yes! Mama said we were going to get Callie from her grandma and grandpa."

"That's right. And I thought it would be fun to show you were I went to school."

Caleb looked at him sideways. "Didn't you go where my mom went?"

Peeta shook his head. "I went to private school. I'm one of those yuppies."

Katniss chuckled and smoothed her hand over her son's hair.

"Ready to go?" Peeta asked.

"So ready!" Caleb exclaimed. He picked up his backpack by the door and ran to Peeta's car.

"Always prepared for boredom." Katniss said. She picked up her purse and showed him a book was stuffed inside. "Do you mind?"

He shook his head. "Why would I mind?"

"I just didn't want you thinking we're antisocial. I don't read much, but I always keep a book in my purse. And for him, it's best to have a lot of activities on hand."

Peeta smiled and held out his hand. "Ready to head out?"

She slipped hers in his and squeezed. She pulled it out quickly and turned around to locked the door.

"Sorry." He said softly.

"No, I am." She slipped her hand in his once more as they walked to the car. "Your hand is nice and soft."

He unlocked the car doors and helped Caleb inside while Katniss got in the front seat.

Peeta ran around to the other side and started the engine. He looked between his two passengers. "Who's ready?"

"Me!" Caleb exclaimed.

"I'm game." Katniss said with a smile.

He drove for a while with virtual silence in the car. Caleb messed with the window button for a while until Peeta locked it.

Caleb asked after the silence went on for a while, "Peeta, when are you going to paint my room?"

Peeta looked in the rearview mirror. "Your mom and I need to discuss some particulars. Soon."

Katniss said, "Give me a list of supplies and their cost so I can buy them for you."

"We can buy them today if you want. There's a great paint store here that I use for all projects big and small. I could use new brushes anyway. And since you're buying..." He gave her a dazzling smile.

She laughed. "Okay, let's go."

Caleb asked from the back, "Mama, is Peeta your boyfriend?"

Katniss laughed uncomfortably. "No, we're friends."

"So why is he holding your hand?"

She looked over and pulled her hand from Peeta's. When had that happened? "Sometimes people just hold hands. _You_ hold Peeta's hand."

Caleb thought a moment and then shrugged. "Kids are different from grown-ups, Mama."

Peeta chuckled uncomfortably and repositioned himself in his seat. He reached over and turned on the radio.

"I love this song!" Caleb exclaimed and started singing along.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Katniss asked softly.

Peeta shook his head. "It's not entirely you."

He gave no other explanation and Katniss moved on. "Tell me a bit about Callie's grandparents."

Peeta smiled. "Andi, Alex's mom, was like a mom to me. She accepted the pregnancy from the start because she had already accepted me. She liked me and spoiled me like I was one of her own. And Al is the same. He and my dad got along great and he always encourages me." He smiled. "They're both kind of stand-in parents for me now."

She smiled sadly.

He whispered, "I've never been more rested, by the way."

"It can't happen again." She said quickly. She looked embarrassed. "It shouldn't happen again." She amended. "But we can work it out, I'm sure."

"I'm sure we can." He grinned.

Caleb asked a lot of questions along the way about things he saw. He excitedly pointed out every building he thought was cool and every bit of livestock. He was very impressed by the gated community they drove up to. So was Katniss.

"Holy crap!" She gasped. Then she bit her lip and covered her mouth. "Sorry."

Peeta chuckled, "Yeah, they're loaded. And they help with all of Cal's needs and wants. So if you want to decide to raise your prices for her coaching, I'll completely understand."

Katniss laughed. "I should have known. You mentioned your school here, but I don't know what I was thinking."

He paused to talk into the speaker and wait for the gate to unlock. He started in. "My mom...forced a lot of sacrifice to my father and his business so we could go to private school. She thought it was necessary. But Alex's parents sacrificed nothing. And I think when I knocked up my girlfriend and dropped out of school, it made my mother think the sacrifice was for nothing. I think that's why she's still so mad at me." He turned into a drive.

Callie waved happily from the massive porch.

"That house is huge." Caleb marveled. His face was pressed to the window.

"Be polite, Caleb." Katniss warned as they all got out.

"Katniss!" Callie exclaimed and launched herself down the steps. She threw her arms around the woman.

"Hey, Calliope. How was your week?" Katniss asked.

The girl beamed. "Great! My grandma and I had a for real tea party. She invited all her friends. It was so cool."

Peeta glared playfully at his daughter. "Do I mean nothing to you since I brought Katniss?"

Callie laughed and hugged her father tightly. "I missed you, Daddy."

He laughed and squeezed her hard and kissed the top of her head. "I missed you, too, sweetie."

An older woman stepped out and leaned over the railing. "Not even going to come in and say hello?"

"Hi, Andi." Peeta stepped around his daughter and ascended the stairs. He kissed the woman on the cheek and hugged her close. "I hope she wasn't a handful this week."

"An angel like always. She's a lot like Lexie." She looked around him. "And this must be the famous Katniss we've been hearing so much about. And Caleb, too."

Katniss held out her hand. "Hi, yes, I'm Katniss and this is my son Caleb."

"I'm Andrea, but everyone calls me Andi."

Caleb looked up at her. "You're Callie's grandma?"

"I am." Andi leaned down. "Callie and I just finished making some cookies. I know they won't be as delicious as Peeta's, but they are still tasty. Would you like one?"

"I love cookies!" Caleb announced and ran for the door.

"Caleb, manners." Katniss warned as they all followed inside.

"Yes, Mama. But cookies!"

Peeta grabbed Katniss's hand and squeezed before he let go and hurried forward to lift Caleb up. "Cookies are always the right answer."

The boy laughed happily and wrapped his arms around Peeta's neck. "I bet these cookies really are better than yours."

"You think so?" Peeta started tickling him.

Caleb laughed and wiggled free of Peeta's grasp. He stumbled and fell to the floor.

Peeta helped him up. "You okay?"

"Yep, I'm okay!" He followed Andi into the kitchen and stood in front of the plate of cookies. "What kind are they?" He asked softly.

Andi picked up the plate and offered it to him. "White chocolate macadamia nut."

"I love that kind!" Caleb took two and sat at the table. "Thank you, Miss Andi."

"Just Andi, Caleb." She ruffled his hair and sat a cup of milk in front of him. "Eat up, everyone."

Katniss took a cookie and sat beside her son. "Your house is lovely, Andi."

"Thank you, Katniss." She sat across from them as the other two took seats. "My husband is somewhere around here, so you should be able to meet him before you leave."

"I look forward to it."

"Peeta is going to paint a…" He looked to the man sitting on his other side, "mural?"

"Yes, that's right." Peeta said.

Caleb smiled even wider. "A mural in my bedroom."

"Is that so?" Andi asked. She leaned forward. "Tell me what it's going to look like."

"It's going to have a pirate ship and a navy ship and they're all going to be dogs."

"Dogs?"

Peeta ruffled the boy's hair. "Two of Caleb's favorite things in one." He pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture. He showed Andi. "I painted those for his birthday. They'll go on the other walls."

"Amazing." Andi grinned. "Lexie really loved your artwork. She told me once it was why she fell in love with you."

Peeta smiled and looked at his daughter. He smoothed his hand over her hair. "I loved to paint her picture."

Callie smiled. "I told them about the one you just did. For me."

"Hey, is there a party in my kitchen? Why wasn't I invited?" Al said from the door.

Peeta stood and hugged the man. "Looking good, Al."

"You too." He chuckled.

Caleb hurried over and looked up in wonder. "You're Callie's grandpa?"

"I am. Are you Caleb?"

He nodded. "How did you know?"

Al dropped to his knee and smiled. "Callie has been talking about you and your mom all week."

Caleb looked over his shoulder. He turned back around and whispered, "Peeta really likes my mom."

"You think so?" Al whispered back.

Caleb nodded. "But my mom doesn't date because my dad wasn't nice to her."

Al nodded. "Your mom doesn't have to date if she doesn't want to. And I can already see that she is doing a great job raising you." He leaned in and said softly, "And I think your mom likes Peeta."

Caleb beamed and looked at his mother again. He nodded. "I think so, too." He ran over and sat in his mother's lap.

Katniss kissed Caleb's temple and whispered, "I love you, baby."

"I love you, Mama."

Callie asked, "Dad, are we going to Sae's Diner?"

Peeta nodded. "Of course. Are you all packed?"

"Not yet. Katniss and Caleb, you should come see my room." She took their hands and pulled them out of the room, both of them laughing as they went.

Peeta stood awkwardly and looked between Al and Andi.

Andi said, "Callie really likes her. Adores her, even."

Al nodded. "She just talked about Katniss nonstop."

Peeta shook his head. "I can't do this with you two."

"Why not?" Andi said. "We know you loved Lexie. But you were just kids. And she's been gone…" She trailed off as her voice broke.

"I know she has." Peeta said. "And I know I need to move on. But I can't with Katniss. Caleb's dad was abusive and she just needs a friend."

"When did she get out of that relationship?" Al asked.

"It's irrelevant." Peeta waved his hand. "I can't. I just can't. And I won't."

"But you like her." Al said.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter."

There was another awkward silence. Callie came in with the others trailing behind her. Caleb lugged her bag along behind him.

"I'm going to stay here forever." Caleb said.

Andi chuckled. "Maybe you can come stay some night. We have plenty of room."

"Mama, can I?" He asked Katniss.

"We'll see." She smoothed her hand over his hair.

"Ready to go?" Peeta asked.

"Ready." The kids said at the same time.

Al grinned. "You two look like you could be siblings."

"Alexander." Andi warned. "Stop."

They left after several long hugs.

Peeta stopped at a diner that defined "hole-in-the-wall." It was stuffed in a tiny building in between a pawn shop and a donut shop. There were only a few tables inside and the griddle was just over the counter.

"What are you getting, Dad?" Callie asked sarcastically.

"Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes." Peeta chuckled. "I can't help it that Sae's chicken fried steak is the best." He winked at the woman across the counter.

"I want that, too!" Caleb said.

The old woman leaned over the counter. "And what can I make for the ladies?"

Callie said, "I'd like scrambled eggs, hash browns, and crispy bacon."

Katniss looked over the menu. "It all sounds so good."

Callie said, "The fried chicken is good. Oh! The catfish! She has her own catfish farm at her house. It's delicious."

"You know what? That sounds delicious. Catfish platter for me." Katniss said. She looked around as Sae walked away. "How did you find this place?"

Peeta chuckled. "Alex and I were just driving around one day and we stumbled on this place. It looks rundown from the outside, as you saw, but it's great inside. The food is amazing. And this became our place. It's where we talked out a lot of stuff. Where she told me she was pregnant and where we planned out our life together. And we ate here the week before Cal was born." He looked around. "I love this old place."

"It's nice." Katniss kicked his feet under the table.

He smiled and kicked back. "So, what do you guys think of Andi and Al?"

Caleb said, "I really like them. Can we go back? Andi said I can stay the night."

"Baby, we just met them." Katniss said.

"But Andi said I could." He argued.

"We'll have to see."

"Okay, good." He turned to Peeta. "So will you start my room soon?"

"We'll go to the paint store after we eat and get all the stuff and I'll set up to start painting next week. I need to work out some things with Delly and Madge. And I have some cakes to decorate that I need to figure out how long they will take and when I need to be able to work on them, too." He looked at Katniss. "And I need your coaching schedule."

"I start every day at one." She smiled. "So you can come in the mornings if that works for you."

"I'll figure it out." He promised. He kicked her foot under the table again.


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's note: This one is a bit shorter than the last one, but definitely packed with some more satisfying material._

 _Thank you so much for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! And thanks to the few who have sent messages on Tumblr (booksrockmyface)! Anything you want to say is welcome. If anything ever doesn't make sense or you wish to share your thoughts about the future of this story, I don't mind you coming to me in any format._

 _Happy reading!_

 ** _Trigger warning: A little more talk of abuse and some PTSD responses to abuse._**

Chapter Sixteen

Katniss dropped Caleb off for his very first day of school. It had been a tradition since kindergarten. They got up early, went to breakfast at a place Caleb chose (McDonald's this year), and then made their way to school. Every day after that, he would finally get to walk in all by himself. The first year, she walked him all the way to the classroom every day, even though he swore he could go on his own. For first grade, she stopped at the end of the hall. This year, she promised her Big Boy he could go in all by himself now. Unless he changed his mind, of course.

She stepped back outside to get into her car when she heard a wolf whistle. She turned to see Annie leaning out the window of her ancient truck. "Hey, pretty lady. Come here often?"

Katniss chuckled. "Only every single day." She waved at Finn and Callie inside. "Hi, you two."

"Hey, Katniss." They chorused.

Annie said, "Peeta's trying to get some stuff squared away at the bakery. He asked me to drop off Callie." She smiled. "Want to go for coffee?"

"Sure. I'll meet you. Strange Brew?"

"Be there as soon as I can get through this hellish line." Annie shook her head. "It gets crazier every year."

"Tell me about it. See you in a bit."

Katniss managed to make it out if the hectic first-day parking to the coffee shop down the block in just a matter of minutes. She ordered a drink and took a seat.

Annie came in a few minutes later and plopped down beside her. "I'm beat. Tell me why I decided to have another baby after nearly a decade?"

"You love your husband?" Katniss shrugged. "I have no idea."

Annie laughed. "Maybe. Not today, though." She accepted her drink. "He's driving me nuts. Be glad you aren't married."

"If I had stayed married, chances are, I would probably be dead." Katniss admitted softly.

Annie shook her head. "Shit, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Katniss sipped her coffee and leaned into her friend's side. "It's not all bad, is it?"

Annie thought a moment and then shook her head. "Finnick a pretty sweet guy most of the time."

Katniss nodded. "Sometimes I think I'd like to be in a relationship, but most of the time I know I'd be too weak. I'm so many years away from him, but he's still always right there. You know? Caleb is starting to grow into such a gentleman and maybe he needs a dad, but..." She took another drink. "I stayed over at Peeta's house the other night."

"You what?" Annie shot forward.

"We just slept. And then I got up when he did and made breakfast. I needed company and I was just going to hang out for a while, but he asked me to stay over and I did."

"No sexy times at all?" Annie asked in disbelief.

Katniss shook her head. "None. But I think he...took care of business in the shower. It was kind of awkward." She sipped her coffee.

Annie giggled. "Oh, wow. And you could stand not to join him?"

"Shut up, Annie." Katniss could feel her cheeks getting hot. "It would complicate things. And things are already so complicated."

"I say sleeping at a man's house and listening to him jerk off in the shower the next morning is pretty straightforward."

Katniss let out a long breath. "He's kissed me. Quite a bit. Of course he asks first. He wants me to have the option to say no. And I have said no a few times. But I've said yes more. I'm being stupid, right?"

Annie smiled kindly and shook her head. "Not at all. When I was in high school, I had a friend with benefits. Finnick and I were so on and off and sometimes I just needed... I needed a release that wasn't working on my own. So I'd meet up with this guy and make out and sometimes we'd do more, but mostly we just kissed and cuddled and it was great. I'm not sure it's something Peeta would be good at because he's very sweet and all about commitment. But it may be something you need. Someone no one else knows about, not even me or Prim. Someone to help you explore what you want sexually while still taking care of everything else in life. You're in your late twenties, a divorcee with a kid, and you've never had a good..." She looked around and leaned in and lowered her voice. "You never had a good male-induced orgasm and you need to experience that at least once. So you can either hire a prostitute or you can find a willing partner."

"And you don't think Peeta's it?"

Annie thought a moment. "I think if you actually want a relationship, Peeta's your guy. But for meaningless sex? Definitely not."

"It's going to take a lot of trust for me." Katniss finished her coffee and put the cup down. "There's no one I know that could do that." She rubbed her face. Her phone rang and she looked at the screen. "Peeta."

"Oh, lover boy." Annie sang as she sat back to drink her coffee.

Katniss made a face at Annie and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hi."

Peeta's chipper voice danced through the phone. "Hey. I only have a couple hours and I just need to do a base coat on the wall. So can I come over?"

"Sure. Annie and I are just drinking a cup of coffee. It'll take me a few minutes to get there."

"Okay, I'll meet you."

Katniss hung up and started gathering her things. "I have to go."

"Do you have protection?" Annie asked with an evil grin.

"Stop it." Katniss laughed.

"Have fun." Annie winked.

Katniss hurried home and was met with Peeta leaning against his car. He smiled and met her at the door to her car. He opened it and held out a hand to help her out. She removed her hand from his immediately and led him to the house.

They walked in silence. Once the door shut, Katniss looked around and then stepped up to Peeta. She pressed her lips to his a moment. She smiled and looked down.

He reached up a hand and cupped her face.

She flinched away and immediately said, "Sorry."

He stepped back. "You don't need to be sorry."

She looked back up and chewed her lip.

He cupped her cheek again. "You didn't do anything wrong."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. She pressed him against the door. He held her close, but not restrictively so. He let her guide the kiss. His hands fell to her waist and pushed her away gently.

"I need to get to work." He said. He pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I would definitely stand here and kiss you all day if I could. If only to make that worry frown leave your face."

She smiled and stepped out of his grasp. "Can I help?"

"You can." He held out his hand.

Katniss looked at it for a few long breaths before she slipped her hand into Peeta's.

He picked up a roll of tape and handed it to her. "You ever taped off baseboard?"

"Nope."

He patiently showed her how to do it and watched her do it for a few seconds. "Looks good." He moved on to the other side of the room. They worked in silence for several minutes. Katniss sat back when Peeta stepped on a ladder to tape off the ceiling. She couldn't help but stare at the line of his back as his arms stretched above his head and the way his shirt rode up just enough to see a little skin. It looked smooth. And his jeans were just tight enough…

"Next is the painting." He said as he placed the final inches of tape and stepped down. He turned and smiled. "That shouldn't take long. Tomorrow I'll start sketching out the scene. I only have a couple hours a day because I am still up to my elbows in wedding cakes and birthday cakes and anniversary cakes." He chuckled. "But it shouldn't take too long, maybe a week at most. And then I can start painting the scene. Sound good?"

She nodded and stepped toward him. "Are you sure you can only spare two hours a day?"

He smiled. "I can maybe squeeze out three."

"Good." She placed a hand on the side of his face and the other on his hip. She pressed her mouth to his for the briefest moment and then stepped away. "So which color is the base coat?"

He chuckled. "That medium blue." They walked together into the utility room. Peeta found the proper can of paint and turned to Katniss. "Have you ever painted a room at all?"

"Once. It was awful." She picked up the bag of brushes and rollers. "Prim did most of it."

He watched her a moment and then he sat down the paint. He stepped up to her. "May I do something?"

"What?"

He took the bag from her and sat it back down. He placed his hands on her waist and leaned her against the dryer. "Can I kiss you?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "Please do."

He covered her mouth with his. The kiss was soft and slow and perfect. Katniss felt Peeta's grip tighten and she quickly broke the kiss. She looked down and mumbled an apology.

"Tell me what I did?" He asked softly.

"Nothing." She moved out from between him and the dryer.

"Something happened." He picked up the paint again.

"You were…I felt like…" She sighed. "It was too much."

He nodded. "I'll be careful next time."

"We need to get the painting done anyway." She picked up the bag of brushes once more and made her way to Caleb's room. She looked at the wall. "You were gripping me too tight and I suddenly felt trapped."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll be more mindful of it from now on."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He gave her encouraging smile. "Let's get to work."


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's note: This one is longer. Some great things happen in this one. Let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Seventeen

Callie pulled the string back and took aim. She let the arrow go a second too late, her arm was shaking. It hit on the outer circle. She sighed. That's where it had been landing the entire time.

Katniss asked, "What did you do wrong?"

Callie thought a moment and then shrugged.

"You overthought. You have been this whole time." Katniss explained. "Nock the arrow, take a breath as you pull back, half breath out, hold it, aim, let go, breathe out. That's it. Clear your mind. Nothing else matters but that bullseye."

Callie nodded and picked up another arrow. She took too long to shoot again and the arrow went wide once more. She groaned and picked up another arrow. She fired again. And again it went wide.

"We've been at this for almost an entire hour. You're tired. Let's just stop for now."

"I thought I was getting better." Callie grumbled.

Katniss wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You _are_ getting better." She pointed. "When you started this, you couldn't get the arrow very far. And now it's in the target. We'll keep working, Calliope." She gave her a squeeze. "Don't think too much."

"I'll try."

"Hey, Cal." Peeta said as he walked over. He nodded to Gale who was also finishing a session with two students. He nodded back.

Callie ran to her father. "Hi, Dad." She threw her arms around him.

"Hey, sweetie." He kissed the top of her head. "How did you do today?"

"Not so good." Callie said forlornly.

"She did very well." Katniss said. "Arrows in the target."

"But not in the center." Callie argued.

Peeta asked, "Which one's yours?"

She pointed.

"That looks good. Much better than the target at home." He kissed her temple.

Katniss smiled. "She's my last student for the day. Do you guys want to go get some ice cream?"

Callie looked up at her father. "Can we, Daddy?"

He smiled. "I guess we can. Where's Caleb?"

"With my sister. He didn't feel like being here after the whole week of it. But I'm sure he'll enjoy seeing you and telling you how excited he's getting about the mural."

"I'll lock up." Gale said. He walked toward the cage in the corner and unlocked it.

"Thanks, Gale. Calliope, you need to gather your arrows." Katniss said.

The girl walked away and Gale started locking up the bows and arrows.

Peeta said softly, "I have been thinking about your lips all day."

Katniss smiled. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Can we hang out a little somewhere and let the kids go off in another room and let me kiss you some more?"

She laughed. "Not tonight. But Caleb is going to have some guy time with Gale tomorrow fishing. Can you come over for a while?"

"I can make that work." His smile changed as his daughter walked over. "Let's get Caleb and get ice cream. We should get Gale and Prim to join, too."

Callie nodded. "Gale, you want to go for ice cream with us?"

"Sure. I'll call Prim." He took out his phone and called his wife.

Callie said, "I want a hot fudge sundae."

"Mmm. Sounds good." Katniss said. "I would love a banana split."

Peeta said, "Just a double scoop of mint chocolate chip for me, I think."

"Prim's on board." Gale said as he hung up his phone. "And Caleb is apparently jumping up and down with excitement. I'll pick them up and meet you."

"Sounds good." Katniss said.

They walked out. Gale paused to shut off the lights and lock up.

Katniss hurried up to Peeta in the darkness and slipped her hand into his. She squeezed "See you at the ice cream parlor." She kissed his cheek and slid into the driver's seat of her car. She could feel her face turning red, but she wouldn't focus on it.

At the ice cream parlor, Callie ran ahead to look at the selections. Caleb bolted out of the car and threw his arms around Peeta.

"Hi! I love my wall! I can't wait for you to start painting. Can I help a little?"

"I'd love some help. I know a thing or two you can do. But I'll have to figure a few things out since I do most of my work when your mom is there. And she works in the afternoon."

Caleb slipped his hand into Peeta's as they walked inside. "You could come to the house after school and I could be there to help. I'm sure Mama won't mind."

Katniss smiled. "I won't mind what?"

"If Peeta comes over when you're working to paint. And I can help."

"We'll see. What kind of ice cream do you want?"

"What's Peeta having?"

Peeta placed a hand on top of his head and shook it in rhythm to his every word. "Two scoops of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone."

"I want that, too." Caleb ducked away with a laugh.

Katniss relayed the order over the counter and placed her own. "Still want that hot fudge sundae, Calliope?"

Callie beamed. "Yes, please."

Katniss made the order for her and Callie, too. "Prim, Gale, make your orders. This is on me." She pointed at her friend. "And don't you dare try to argue your way out of it this time."

Gale shrugged. "Fine by me. Two scoops of vanilla in a sugar cone, please."

Prim said, "I want the entire ice cream counter. But I think I'll just have a hot fudge sundae like Callie." She winked at Callie.

The girl smiled. They each got their ice cream and took a seat in the back.

"You're so boring, Gale." Katniss said. "Vanilla ice cream."

"I always get vanilla." Gale said, taking a deliberate bite.

"I know, but you should branch out." She chuckled. "How's your sundae, Callie?"

"Delicious. Thank you." Callie rested her head on Katniss's shoulder a moment.

"You're welcome." Katniss turned her head and kissed the top of her head. Then she froze and looked around the crowd. That was a dumb move.

Prim said, "I'm going to need more ice cream." She reached across the table and took a scoop of Katniss's banana split.

"Hey, back off." Katniss laughed. She reached across and took a bite from Prim's sundae.

Prim popped Katniss's hand with her spoon. "Never mess with a pregnant woman's food."

Gale smoothly took his wife's spoon and scooped a large glob off Caleb's cone and ate it. He grinned and winked at his nephew who glared at him and then giggled and leaned over to lick Gale's cone.

Gale jerked his cone away. "Hey!"

"You started it." Caleb said.

"Prim started it." Gale said petulantly.

"Now it's time to stop it." Katniss said. "We need to eat our own ice creams."

"Okay, _Mom_." Prim said with a laugh.

Katniss smiled. "Caleb, tell everyone about the mural."

Caleb took the cue and dominated the rest of the conversation. Katniss and Peeta exchanged fleeting glances. She wanted the night to be over. She wanted to be alone with Peeta for more kisses like all the ones they had shared the past week. Maybe even longer ones this time. And maybe…

Caleb yawned.

"We should probably head home." Katniss said reluctantly.

"Same here." Peeta said.

"Do we really have to?" Callie asked.

"Yeah, we have to. Come on. Thank you for the ice cream, Katniss."

"You're very welcome." Katniss said.

They walked out.

Caleb asked Gale, "When are you coming to get me tomorrow?"

"Bright and early." Gale assured him. "About 6. I have the bait all ready. And you and Aunt Prim made the sandwiches. It's going to be great. And we'll catch enough for supper."

"Will we have enough for a big fish fry?" Caleb asked.

"I hope so. But if not, we had fun and we can figure something else out for dinner."

Prim whispered something in his ear.

"You sure?"

Prim nodded. "Peeta, you and Callie are welcome to join us for supper tomorrow night. I'll text Annie and invite them, too. We'll have a party. I really like hanging out with everyone." She smiled sweetly.

Peeta and Katniss had slowly moved closer to each other as the others talked. Even Callie was in the middle of it. Prim had her arm wrapped around Callie's shoulders.

"I'll call Finnick tonight. Finn and Cal have been wanting to hang out anyway and their place is much cooler, according to my daughter." He chuckled.

"Text me." Katniss said. She called for Caleb. They all parted soon after.

* * *

" _When can you come over?_ " Katniss typed out the text. She looked at it. She locked her phone and watch at the baking competition she'd chosen without seeing it. She opened the phone again and sent the message and stared at the screen.

His reply popped up just a moment later. " _Just dropped Cal off at the Odairs. Be there in a bit._ "

She hurried to the bathroom to look at her appearance. She took out her braid to redo it. But she decided to leave it loose. She combed it with her fingers. She was still running her fingers through it when there was a knock on the door.

She opened it and smiled shyly. "Hi."

"Hi." He stepped inside and closed the door. "Is it kissing time yet?"

She laughed and nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped into his waiting embrace. She walked backward with him to the couch. She pushed him down and sat on his lap. She broke the kiss and smoothed her hand down the side of his face. "I like this."

"Me too." He tangled his fingers in her hair. "Is this okay?"

She nodded and pressed her mouth to his once more. She moved her fingers over the planes of his face and over his shoulders and down his arms. She pulled out of the kiss, sucking on his lip a moment.

He moaned. "Katniss, you are doing some awful things to me."

She smiled and brushed one more kiss over his lips and moved away. "I'm sorry."

"Why do you always apologize?" He slipped his hand into hers.

She fought the urge to remove her hand from his and curl into a protective ball in the corner. "I just don't know how to…" She took several breaths. "Look, I have never, in my life, been as content as I am when I am with you. But then I think about Cato and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"I will never hurt you physically. And if I hurt you any other way, I promise it's not intentional. We're friends. Friends look out for each other."

She smiled and kissed him again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They shared another kiss and then she moved away again. "So I heard you in the shower the other day. When I stayed there."

"Oh, god." Peeta chuckled nervously and covered his face as it grew red. "I tried so hard to be quiet."

"You mostly succeeded. I only heard because I happened to walk past when you let out your final…utterance." Katniss rubbed his arm. "I want to tell you something."

"Tell me anything." He turned and gave her his full attention.

"When I had coffee with Annie the other day, she suggested I needed someone to relieve my own sexual tension. She suggested anyone but you. She thinks commitment is too important for you. And I agree. But there are different types of commitment."

"There are."

"You don't have to say yes, but I'd like to change things up a bit. Kissing you is great, but as you said, it's getting uncomfortable. Kissing you makes me want to explore more and I know it arouses you too. But the scary thing is, as you know, it hasn't been a good experience for me. So I want to sleep with you, but I'm terrified to."

He watched her a moment as he processed what she had just said. He nodded. "There are many things we could do. It doesn't all have to be the traditional way at first. Or ever." He reached up and cupped her cheek. "And if you really are ready to explore that, then I will gladly help you out. You say when. It can be today, it can be tomorrow, we can never talk about it again and I'll pleasure myself in the shower for the rest of my life."

She laughed. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. So, what do we do now?"

She looked him over. "Would you mind…? Can we just lay here on the couch and watch TV for a while?"

He smiled. "I like the sound of that." He stretched out and opened up his arms for her.

She lay beside him and pulled his arms around her. "This is nice."

"So nice." He relaxed.

"So do you want to buy condoms or should I get on the pill?" She asked suddenly.

He stuttered a moment before he said, "What would you prefer?"

"I don't know if I want to start taking something. But it could be easier, I guess. I'll think about it, weigh my options."

"You do that."

She looked over her shoulder. "Did I just completely freak you out?"

"No. Not really. I just haven't thought about the purchase of condoms in nearly a decade." He sighed. "I feel like such a loser."

"You're not a loser." She rolled over in his arms. She stroked Peeta's face. "You're not. And I'm not either. And we may feel like losers because of our pasts, but that is definitely not who we are. You're a young widower whose daughter and business were more important than sex. And I'm… Well, I got caught up in a bad relationship and I'm still recovering. You've seen it."

"I have. And every time you flinch or shrink away from me, I want to go back to that day at the camp where he stood there with you and drag him out by his hair and hit him and make him feel worthless the way he did to you. It's not fair, Katniss. It's not fair that he's living his life and you're still so much in that past."

"I'm fine, Peeta. I appreciate the sentiment, but you can't do that."

He smoothed a hand over her back. "Did you ever try prosecuting him for raping you? What's the statute of limitations on that? He deserves some sort of punishment for what he did to you all those years."

She silenced his rambling with a kiss. She rested her head against his. "I never looked into it. And all the evidence is gone. I don't think I can make it through any sort of proceedings for that anyway." She brushed a kiss over his lips. "I don't want to talk about Cato with you anymore. Not today or the next time we see each other. I want to forget that he exists when I'm with you."

"He won't ever go away completely."

"No. But we can make him leave at least for a while." She kissed him again and wrapped her body around his. And this was how they spent the rest of their brief morning together.


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's note: Another chapter already?! Yay!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Eighteen

Peeta pulled Katniss into his arms and rested his head against hers. "Can I have a kiss before I go?"

She smiled and nodded. "Make it a good one."

He grinned and covered her mouth with his. He slowly slid his hand up her back and cupped the back of her head.

Without breaking the kiss, Katniss reached up and pulled Peeta's hand down. He tangled their fingers together. The kiss slowly came to an end.

"Sorry about—"

She shook her head. "Not a problem."

He rubbed her back and stepped away. "I need to go work on decorating cakes for a while. I'll see you at Gale and Prim's?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Can Cal and I come tomorrow so I can get some work done? Caleb can help a little. You can help a little. Admire my ass like I know you do every time you watch me work."

She chuckled. "You and Caleb can work on the room, but I think Callie and I will find something else to do."

"Like what?" He trailed a finger down her cheek. "Hm?"

"I don't know. We'll figure it out. Unless she wants to help. And then I will watch the three of you work and admire your ass." She laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips.

He laughed. "See you in a few hours." He ducked out of the door made his way to his car. He pulled out his phone and saw he had ten texts, two missed calls, and a voicemail. All from Finnick.

" _Dude, you need to come hang out and not be working so much._ "

" _Text me back. I'm bored._ "

" _Peeeeetaaaaaaa!_ "

" _I need a grown man to hang out with._ "

" _Answer my texts._ "

" _What are you even working on? You always answer my texts. Even when you're working._ "

" _I sound like a clingy boyfriend. Sorry._ "

" _But a text back would be nice._ "

" _I miss you._ "

" _Our kids are arguing and neither are listening and Annie's laying down. I need you to answer me._ "

Then he checked the voicemail. "So I called and you didn't answer. And I was bummed. So I called the bakery and Delly said you weren't there. So what are you doing, man? Or who? Are you with Katniss?"

Peeta deleted the message and pressed the button to call Finnick back as he drove to the bakery. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I don't know, Peeta, you tell me." Finnick challenged. "Where have you been all morning?"

"Hanging out with Katniss, all right? I deserve a little time with an unmarried person every now and then." Why did he feel defensive?

"Do you ever hang out with Delly or Madge?" Finnick challenged.

"They are my employees. And Delly has a crush on me, so that would be weird and she might misconstrue that."

"The way you're doing with Katniss?"

Peeta sighed. "I know what I'm doing with Katniss."

"But you liiiiike her." Finnick sang. He laughed.

Peeta shook his head. "She's technically my boss right now since I'm painting Caleb's room. _And_ she's coaching Cal. Anything romantic is off-limits."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"So are you guys going to come to Gale and Prim's thing?"

"I think so. Annie's feeling really rough today."

"I can bring Finn if you want. You two can hang out at home. You can take care of your wife."

"I'll let you know. Thanks."

"I'm back at the bakery now and getting to work. Calm it with the texting. You're the most annoying boyfriend ever."

Finnick giggled. "You just called me your boyfriend. I have to call _everyone_!"

"Shut up, buttface. I have to get to work."

"I'm breaking up with you, Peeta. You're so mean to me."

Peeta laughed. "I'm so devastated. I'll see you later."

"Later, man."

Peeta walked into the lobby and saw it was virtually empty. Odd for a Saturday afternoon, but not entirely unseen. Madge leaned over the counter and flirted with an older man. Peeta walked over and smiled. "Good afternoon."

Madge smiled. "This is Haymitch Abernathy. Mr. Abernathy, this is Peeta Mellark. He owns the bakery and also is in charge of cake decoration."

"It's just Haymitch." He held out his hand. "You look familiar."

"I was at the bar where you work a few weeks ago with my friend Katniss. She's a regular."

Haymitch smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Katniss. The hot brunette."

Peeta chuckled. "Yeah, the hot brunette. Can I help you with anything, Haymitch?"

"My daughter is getting married and she put me in charge of finding potential bakers."

Peeta nodded. "All right, let's have a seat and talk about what your daughter might want in a cake." He took the clipboard off the wall and guided Haymitch to the corner table. "I can do anything from traditional to over the top and anything in between."

"My daughter is very nontraditional. In fact, she is the most nontraditional person I've ever known. And her future wife is just as ridiculous. Her name is Glimmer, of all crazy things. She picked the name herself." Haymitch shook his head. "Anyway. Jo doesn't want to do all the work, but she does want a giant wedding. So here I am, hoofing it to all the bakeries in the area to get prices and design ideas. And then she'll narrow it down from there. It's a real pain in my ass, really. And my wife is off wedding dress shopping. And I'm going to be honest with you, I just found the closest place. So if you want the job, I'm going to say it's yours."

Peeta chuckled. "Well, as flattered as I am, I want to make sure your daughter approves. So let me make a little sketch and I can consult with her and her fiancée to make sure it's what they want."

Haymitch held out his hand. "Fair enough. I'll call Jo."

Peeta shook his hand. "I'll start working on this so it can be ready whenever you all are."

"Thanks." He nodded and smiled at Madge. "Come to the bar tonight and the first drink is on me. And I can guarantee there will be at least one available guy there to chat with you." He walked out and got into his car.

Peeta made some more notes and then walked over to the counter. "Has it been this slow all day?"

"Not really. It's actually started dying down." She picked up a cloth and started polishing the glass. "Delly's in the back talking to the bakers. We ran out of cheese buns and then they burned the second batch. They swore it was the oven, so she called in a guy to check it out."

"Good call. I'll go see what's up. Keep holding down the fort." He hung the clipboard back up and walked into the inner sanctum of his building.

Delly smiled sweetly as he walked into the kitchen. "Apparently the temperature is a little off. They're fixing it now."

Peeta nodded. "Thank you, Delly."

"No problem." She smiled. She looked around and stepped into the hall. "Look, I know you're my boss, but I want to ask you... Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

He smiled kindly. "I can't tonight. I'm sorry."

"Oh." She looked down.

"Rain check?" He asked.

"Sure. Just let me know when you're free." She turned back to the kitchen and Peeta hurried away. _Not good._ He thought. _So not good. She already had a crush on me._ He sat down with a piece of paper and a pencil and got to work on the sketch for Haymitch's daughter.

* * *

Annie plopped beside Katniss and poked her side. She whispered, "Rumor has it a certain baker spent the morning with you."

Katniss jumped and gave her a confused look.

"My husband found out and told me. So are you two an item now?" She had a giddy smile on her face.

"No. We are not an item. We just hung out and watched TV for a while. And then he went back to work. That's it. End of story."

"Yeah, okay." Annie smiled and moved away a little. "He's been looking over here ever since he got here. Did he even say hi?"

"He said hi." Katniss said almost defensively. "From across the room." She turned. "Hey, so what form of birth control did you use?"

Annie suppressed a sound of excitement. She took several calming breaths. "I took a shot every three months. Worked like a charm. You should do it. And you should get that." She nodded toward where Peeta was wrestling with Caleb as the boy laughed.

Katniss smiled and shook her head. "I just want options for _any_ guy."

Prim leaned in. "What are we talking about?"

Annie said, "I think I almost have Katniss convinced to put herself back on the dating scene."

"Oh, you totally should." Prim slid into the seat adjacent to the couch. "We can watch Caleb any time. No questions asked. Even overnight." She winked.

"I can't get over you two." Katniss laughed. "But thank you, Prim. I'll keep that in mind."

Peeta dropped Caleb onto Katniss's lap. "Your son is exhausting. Do you feed him pure sugar?"

Katniss laughed and wrapped her arms tightly around her son. "I guess so. His uncle spoils him rotten." She kissed Caleb's temple. "We'll just have to take revenge spoiling your cousin."

Caleb smiled and nodded. "It'll be fun."

Peeta said, "I have to go see where my daughter wandered off to." He walked away, slipping his hands into his pockets as he went.

Katniss stared at his retreating backside and not so discreetly.

Annie mumbled. "I bet he tones those muscles while he's sitting at the table decorating cakes."

Prim laughed. "You were looking, too?"

Katniss said, "Well how can you miss it?"

The three women started laughing. Caleb looked between them and shook his head.

He got up. "I'm going to help Uncle Gale with the frying."

"You be careful." Katniss warned.

"Yes, Mama." He promised.

Katniss sat with Annie and Prim for a while longer before she decided to go outside to see about Caleb. She spotted Peeta across the yard with Callie, Finnick, and Finn. Caleb ran between them and Gale at the large kettle bubbling away with oil and fish pieces.

" _You are an evil man_." Katniss quickly sent the text and put her phone back in her pocket.

Peeta chuckled as he read the text. He looked up at her and winked.

"What's going on?" Gale asked looking between his friend at his side and Peeta across the yard.

"Nothing. Peeta's... He's just being ridiculous. How much longer? Your wife is snapping at everyone that looks at her cross-eyed."

Gale laughed. "This is the last batch."

"Okay. I'll inform the ladies." She walked inside and relayed everything to Annie and Prim. Then she ducked into the bathroom to wash her hands.

Peeta followed. He leaned against the wall opposite the door with his hands in his pockets.

Katniss opened the door and saw him there. She leaned close and brushed a kiss over his lips. "You did that on purpose."

"Did what?"

"Put your hands in your pockets when you walked away earlier."

He laughed and shrugged. "I did. So what?"

"You know Annie and Prim watched your retreat, too."

"I'm sure they did. As we've both already established, I have a very lovely bottom." He combed his fingers through her hair. He whispered, "Another kiss?"

She shook her head and stepped away. "The toilet doesn't flush very well. You have to hold down the handle and then jiggle it a little so it doesn't keep running."

He grabbed her hand before she left. "I can't wait for Monday morning."

She smiled and kissed his knuckles. "I can't either."

For the rest of the evening, they avoided each other as much as possible without causing too much curiosity. But near the end, Peeta grew tired of it and found every opportunity to make Katniss smile. He loved that smile. And he loved the way her gray eyes looked almost blue when the light hit them just right.

"You're picking on me." She pointed out late in the evening.

"I'm not. I'm just teasing you." He argued.

"And teasing only me. Why are you picking on me?"

"Because of that dimple in the corner of your mouth when you smile." He looked away as the tops of his ears turned red.

Katniss made a big show of looking at her watch. "Oh, hey, look at that. Time for Caleb to get settled into bed."

"Mama, can't I stay here?" Caleb asked.

"Gale and Prim don't need you staying here tonight, baby."

"Why not?"

"Because you were with Gale all day and I'm sure even as much as he loves you, he needs a break."

Prim shrugged. "It's fine."

Katniss sent a look to her sister. "You aren't tired of him?"

Prim smiled. "I think you, ma'am, need to let him stay and you go to that bar you always end up at. Maybe you can pick up a guy there."

"I don't need a guy." Katniss argued. _Because I kind of already have one._ She added to herself.

"You at least need to unwind." Gale said.

"Hey, I'm not wound. Whose side are you on, anyway?"

He put up his hands. "Forget I said anything. Gather your kid and get the hell out of my house." He laughed and winked.

Katniss shook her head. "I will be taking Caleb home. He can stay some other night."

"You promise?" Caleb asked.

"Promise." Katniss said. She made a cross over her heart. "Tell everyone goodnight."

He threw his arms around Peeta first. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes." He said. "And we'll get some more paint on the walls." He looked at Katniss and then kissed Caleb's cheek. "Cal, we need to get going too."

She sighed. "Okay."

"Don't act so down." Katniss said. "You go home and get to sleep and then you get to come hang out with us. And you and I can do our own thing if you aren't in the mood to paint on the mural."

"Like what?" Callie asked.

Katniss shrugged. "You can play with the goat."

"You have a goat?"

"We do." She leaned in. "And I will let you try to shoot my special bow, if you want. Or we could just hang out and watch movies while the guys work."

"I like the sound of that." Callie looked up to her father. "Let's get home! Bye, everyone." She hurried out the door. Caleb laughed and followed after.

"Caleb Michael!" Katniss called as she hurried after him. "Bye. Thanks for dinner."

Peeta took a much more leisurely time saying his farewells. He stepped into the night and saw Katniss getting onto her son. Callie stood awkwardly on the other side. She opened her mouth to try to apologize, but thought better of it.

"Katniss?" Peeta said.

"Yeah?" She opened the car door and let Caleb climb inside.

"Can I talk to you a moment? Cal, get in the car." He pushed a button on his keychain and unlocked the door.

Katniss walked over. He stepped back into the darkness.

She followed. "Are you going to give me a goodnight kiss?"

"Will you let me?"

"I will."

He gently cupped her face and brushed his lips over hers once, twice, a third time. "See you in the morning."

"See you in the morning." She walked to her car and hopped into the front seat. "Okay, kiddo, ready to get home?" She looked in the back and saw Caleb already asleep. She chuckled and headed for their house.


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's note: WOW! That's all I can say about all the reviews and follows and favorites. There are so many, y'all! Stuff is getting better and better in this. I promise. Like there may be actual sexy times soon. Are your loins properly girded?_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Nineteen

Katniss stood in front of the door and looked at her watch for the hundredth time. When the knock finally came, she quickly opened the door and pulled Peeta inside. She pressed him against the closed door and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"Why are men so hot when they interact with kids?" She asked against his lips.

He smiled. "You answer the same question about women and I'll answer it about men."

She stepped back and took his hands to lead him to the couch. She sat down and pulled him beside her. She combed her fingers through his hair. "Caleb just eats it up when you give him attention. He's used to Gale and Finnick because they've been around his whole life. But you're new and exciting and you're just so good with him."

He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. His hand rested on her thigh. "I've never seen Cal lights up so much as when she's with you." He opened his eyes. "I wanted to kiss you so much yesterday."

"Well, you're here today."

"Is that an invitation?"

She nodded and leaned in.

He met her the rest of the way. He whispered, "I really like kissing you." He covered her mouth with his in a soft kiss.

She pushed him back on the couch and stretched out over him. She deepened the kiss as she moved her hands down his torso. She wrapped her hands around his hips and held onto him. His hands slowly, almost lazily, explored her back.

He gently cupped her chin as he broke the kiss and moved his lips over her neck. She sighed and returned her mouth to his. Her hand tentatively slid up his shirt. He moaned.

Katniss sat back and straddled his hips. She chewed her lip a moment as she watched him panting beneath her.

Peeta sat up and tangled his fingers in the hair just behind her ear. "What are you thinking?"

"Considering something."

"What?"

"If I want to take my shirt off."

He smiled. He reached behind his head and pulled off his own shirt and dropped it on the floor. He took her hands and kissed each of them. He placed them on his stomach.

She took quite a while running her palms over his torso. He wasn't toned, except for his arms. Must be all the dough kneading. But he was slim. And his skin was so smooth. She leaned forward and nuzzled his neck. She kissed her way up it and caught his mouth in a deep kiss. It was painfully short, however. But she made up for it by pulling her own shirt off and dropping it on top of his.

Peeta's breath caught. He gently ran his hands over the length of Katniss's arms and back up. He touched her nowhere else when he noted the slight discomfort on her face. He pulled her to his chest. "Is this okay?"

"It's fine." She kissed him again. This time it lasted much longer. His mouth tasted sweet and hot and she never wanted to stop enjoying it. She felt warm all over. This was something she hadn't ever gotten to explore. Plenty of times she had been aroused with her former husband, but he had always finished far too quickly and he didn't really care about her needs.

She suddenly broke the kiss and stood. She picked up her shirt and slipped it over her head.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked as he picked up his own shirt and pulled it back on.

"I just started thinking about…" She shook her head. "It's not important. You should get some work done. And I have a few phone calls to make."

He nodded and watched her walk off toward the kitchen. He got to work on the mural. He lost himself in it. The hours passed quickly.

"Hey." Katniss called quietly from the doorway. "Are you going to stay all day?"

Peeta blinked several times as the real world came back into focus. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon. I didn't want to disturb you, but I need to get ready to go to the range and I figure you need to get back to the bakery. But if you want to stay, I'll let you."

He poured the paint he was using back into the bigger bucket. "I would love to just work on this. But I have some couples expecting cakes on their wedding day and they've paid good money." He gathered his brushes and met her at the door. "Let's have dinner tonight."

"With the kids?" She asked as she took a step forward.

"Yes. What would you like? I'll cook."

"I believe it's my turn to cook. I have students nonstop until six and then I have a couple hours break and one more at eight."

"Why so late?"

"College kid. She's got classes and stuff until then. But she's good. She has a big competition coming up, so it's going to be a long one."

"Where does Caleb stay when you work that late?" He walked past her and into the bathroom to rinse his brushes.

"He mostly stays at the range. He can entertain himself and he usually has a blanket stuffed in his backpack so he can curl up in a corner and doze for a while." She shrugged. "It's not ideal, but when Prim was in school, she was only able to help sporadically. So we made plans and ways of him being comfortable there."

"If you ever need, he can spend an afternoon with me. Or even just an hour or two whenever." He sat his brushes off to the side and washed his hands.

"I'm sure Caleb would love it."

"I'm sure he would." He dried his hands. "Can I get a kiss?"

She leaned in. "Let me cook for you and Callie."

"Okay."

She closed the rest of the space between their lips. She broke it with a sigh. "Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I don't know." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her forehead against his. "Why did you kiss Caleb the other day?"

"Because I felt like it." He held her close. "Because I'm starting to really care for both of you."

"You can't, Peeta."

"But I do. And I know you feel the same for me and Cal."

She stepped back just a little, but kept her arms around his neck. "I do. You're really sweet with Caleb and that's always been an important part of letting people into our lives."

Peeta nodded. He picked up the end of Katniss's braid. "If you're ever ready to redefine this, let me know."

"I'm pretty good with this how it is." She kissed him once more and stepped out of his embrace. "You should probably get going."

"I probably should. I'll see you for supper." He walked out of the house and got into the car, feeling like he needed to go home and take a cold shower.

* * *

Katniss called Peeta in between clients. It was later than she had expected. One of her athletes had been late and that had affected the rest of the class. She warned the girl, a senior in high school, that she needed to call and reschedule the next time. After a cancellation and a quick pick-up practice from a boy who needed to switch practice time, it was a hellish evening and she was crazily behind.

"Can you do me a giant favor?" Katniss asked.

Peeta chuckled. "I think you owe me one now?"

She laughed. She turned away from Gale when she realized it was almost a giggle. She said, "I meant to get to the store and pick up some things, but I'm running behind. Could you perhaps come get my debit card and a list and pick up some groceries for me?"

"No problem. But I don't really need your card. I can pay for it."

"You'll pay for it, all right." She said seductively.

He growled sexily into the phone. "Is that a promise?"

"You bet your tight ass it is." She whispered.

He laughed. "You're doing some wonderfully uncomfortable things to me, just so you know."

"Yeah, I know." Her voice was now at normal volume and she had composed herself. "And maybe my son can tag along with you? If you're up for it?"

"Oh, yeah! Sign me up!" He laughed. "I'll get Cal and be right there."

"Thank you so much! I'll pay you back tomorrow."

"I'll hold you to that." He hung up.

Katniss hung up and gave some final instruction to her students and told them to pack it in. She walked across the width of the facility and crouched in front of Caleb as he played a game on his tablet. "Hey?"

He didn't look up.

"You need to get the game to a stopping point because Peeta is on his way here to get you to go grocery shopping."

He looked up at that. "Are you serious?"

She smiled. "I am. And then you guys are going back to the house and I will meet you there to make supper."

"Yay!" Caleb shut off his game and started packing up his backpack.

Katniss took a piece of paper from his notebook and a pencil and jotted down a list of ingredients for making chicken fried rice, one of Caleb's favorites.

Her latest archers showed and began to set up. Katniss set up the target while Gale set up some for his clients.

"Hey, so what are you doing?" Gale asked.

"Getting targets ready. What are you doing?"

"I meant with Peeta?"

She shrugged. "I'm making him and Callie dinner tonight."

"Was that him on the phone?"

"Yes."

"Look, I'm not telling you how to live your life, but you need to be careful. And mostly for Caleb's sake."

She looked at her son as he stood by the door waiting anxiously. She looked back toward her friend. "Peeta is our friend."

"Caleb is head over heels for him. I saw it the other day. And do you know what he talked about when we were fishing? Peeta. And he thinks you two are in love. He thinks Peeta is going to be in his life forever."

"You know what? Peeta may be in his life forever. And he may not. But he's here for now. And he's great for Caleb. And I don't guess you've noticed, but he's been great for me too. Callie and I click in the same way Caleb and Peeta click. And he understands the struggle of being a single parent trying to provide the best life for his child."

Gale nodded. "Okay. Just don't be stupid, Katniss." He walked toward the three kids he had waiting and Katniss joined hers.

Peeta came in as the kids were all shooting their first arrows. Katniss spoke to each of them and told them how they needed to fix their shots. They tried again. She pulled a list out of her back pocket and handed it over.

"No specific brands required for any of these, just whatever's cheapest." She pulled out her phone and slipped a debit card out of a slit in the back. "And I'll meet you back at my place."

"What if we get done before you?" He asked.

She slipped the lanyard off her neck and took off a key. She handed it to Caleb. "Don't lose that."

"Yes, Mama." Caleb slipped the key into his pocket.

"See you guys in a little while." Katniss went back to her students.


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's note: I finished this much earlier today, but I held onto it because there are some great things here that lead to some even more awesome stuff in the next chapter. But **trigger warning** for some allusions to abuse and Katniss dealing with its aftermath. _

_Thank you all for taking the time to read this, for pressing the button to favorite and follow, and for leaving reviews. You can come visit me on Tumblr (booksrockmyface)._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty

"Thank you for dinner, Katniss." Peeta said softly.

"You're very welcome." Katniss answered. She sighed and looked at her watch. "I have to get back to the range."

Caleb yawned hugely. "Mama, I don't want to go to the range. I'm tired."

"I'm sorry, baby, but you have to come along." She smoothed her hands over his hair.

Peeta motioned toward the back of the room. "A word?"

Katniss followed him across the room. "Don't offer to stay with him."

"And why not? I want to."

"I know you do. You're too kind, Peeta."

"I'm just being a good friend. How long will you be?"

She thought. "At least an hour and a half."

"And when is he usually in bed?"

"We shoot for nine at the latest."

He nodded. "So if you go out there, you go at least a half hour past what you shoot for."

"And when do you go to bed?"

"I usually shoot for nine myself." He said with a grin.

Katniss looked between the man standing in front of her and her son looking like he'd rather not go anywhere else than right there in front of his show. And was he leaning into Callie?

"I hardly ever sleep anymore." Peeta whispered. "Not since that night you stayed with me."

"I have nightmares all the time." She whispered back.

"I'm not asking to stay the night."

"You can't with them here anyway." She shook her head. "It's so unfair that I have to drag him everywhere with me."

"It is."

"I really shouldn't leave him here. I barely know you."

He nodded. "Fair enough."

She looked toward the couch were the children still watched TV. She grabbed his face and gave him a quick kiss. "You're so sweet." She kissed him again and stepped away. "Baby, get your shoes on."

"Okay, Mama." He grumbled.

"Come on, Cal, you too." Peeta said.

They separated with much reluctance all around. Peeta wanted another kiss, but he couldn't very well ask for one in front of the kids. Katniss kissed his cheek anyway.

* * *

Katniss was in the middle of scrubbing a pan when Peeta arrived. She'd left it soaking the night before but it still needed some elbow grease. She unlocked the door and tried to turn the knob, but her hands were still slick. She tried wiping her hands on her pants, but it wasn't enough.

She called, "I'm sorry, Peeta, but my hands are too slippery to turn the knob. It's unlocked."

He opened the door slowly and peeked around it. "Hi." He stepped inside and watched her expectantly.

She smirked. "Well?"

"'Well' what?"

"Well, where's my kiss?"

He wrapped her in a warm embrace and pressed his mouth to hers. She slipped her arms around him and opened her mouth to allow him exploration. The kiss continued until they were both breathless.

"Come to bed with me." Katniss panted.

He trailed a finger down her cheek. "Are you sure?"

"I am." She took his hand and led him to her bedroom. She stopped just inside and slipped her hands under his shirt as she stepped closer. "I don't know how far I want to go, but I'd like to go farther than before. Is that okay?"

"It's perfectly fine." His voice was ragged. He was already growing hard. It was something he struggled with every time they were alone.

She looked down a moment and then back up. A smile played on her lips. "Are you sure?"

He chuckled. "You're in charge of this, Katniss. I'll stop when you tell me." His face grew serious. "You will tell me, right?"

Her own smile dropped. She nodded.

Peeta pulled his shirt off and rested his hands on Katniss's waist as he leaned in close. "May I kiss you?"

"Until I say 'No,' consider this one big 'Yes.'" She took off her own shirt and then wrapped her arms around him again.

He kissed her softly. Her hands dropped to his waistband. She unhooked the button and slowly lowered the zipper. He gasped.

She dropped her hands. "Sorry."

"No." He shook his head. "It's fine."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

She hooked her thumbs in his waistband and pushed them down his hips. "I don't have any sort of protection, so…"

He nodded. "We have options."

"I know _you_ do." She reached down and slipped her hand down the front of his pants.

He pulled her hand out and kissed her palm. "I don't want that today, okay?"

"Peeta—"

He silenced her with a kiss and lifted her up by her waist. She wrapped her legs around him as he walked toward the bed. He finally broke the kiss when he sat her back on her feet. He cupped her face in his palms. He brushed his lips over hers and reached behind her to pull down the blanket.

Katniss pushed her jeans down and climbed in. She slid across the middle and waited for Peeta to join her. He removed his own pants and climbed in beside her. He gathered her into his arms.

"Just kiss me, okay?"

He nodded. "You got it." He took control of her mouth. He slipped his hand down her back and pressed his hips to hers.

She whimpered and broke away. "Wait."

He loosened his embrace.

She rolled to her back. "I don't know if I can do this after all."

"It's fine." He said gently.

She rubbed her face. "I'm sorry."

He gently touched her face, but removed his hand when she winced.

"I can't think of you. You're being so sweet, but all I see is…" She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Katniss, you never have to apologize to me."

"But I always had to do it for him." She said softly. She rolled into his chest. "Old habits and all that."

He kissed her forehead. "Say it all you feel you need. But I promise not to hurt you."

She clutched at him for several silent minutes. He rubbed soothing circles into her back.

He jumped when her lips touched his collarbone. Had he fallen asleep? Her mouth moved up to his and she pushed him onto his back. She kissed him deeply.

He gently pushed her away. "We don't have to do anything."

"I just want to kiss you." She said softly.

"Okay." He welcomed her lips back on his. She trailed them across his jaw and down his neck. He moaned and restrained himself from pressing his hips into hers again. She ground hers down into him anyway. And he moaned even louder.

"What do you want?" She asked.

He kneaded her back. "I want to please you."

"Okay." She moved away and bit her lip. "Whenever you're ready."

He hovered over her and kissed her softly. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know." Her face was conflicted.

He kissed her softly. "Then not today." He kissed her again and rolled away.

"Aren't you uncomfortable?"

"Aren't _you_?"

"Extremely."

"Then I'll leave you alone to deal with it as you need and I'll get to work on the mural." He got up and gathered his clothes.

"Is that going to help you?"

"Yes, actually." He smiled and pulled on his jeans.

She watched him dress and then rolled over and pressed her face in the pillow. She groaned in frustration and then turned her head toward the door. "Hey, Peeta?"

He peeked around the frame. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He disappeared again.

She pressed her face into the pillow once more and thought several curse words. Then she rolled out of bed and dressed. She'd deal with the other parts once Peeta was gone. She went back to the pan.

After she was done with that, she folded some laundry. When she went to Caleb's room to put his things away, she stopped short. Peeta stood on top of the step ladder and reached up into the farthest corner to paint the detail of a cloud. His shirt stretched up and his skin showed. The same skin she was just caressing. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss the bare flesh.

Heat rushed to her lower stomach and then down between her thighs. She bit her lip and suppressed a moan.

He looked over his shoulder. "You okay?"

She nodded and hurried from the room. She closed herself in the bathroom and dropped her pants. There was no way she was holding this in any longer. She slipped her hand between her thighs and found the throbbing nub that resided there. It had been easy enough to keep the wanting at bay, but with someone as kind and considerate as Peeta it only made it more intense.

She clenched her teeth and kept herself quiet. She knew how to be quiet. She'd had to be quiet doing this her entire marriage. It was her one risk she purposefully took. And he never found out.

She met her release with a soft sigh. She looked up into the mirror and took several calming breaths. Maybe next time it could be him. Maybe.

Peeta called through the door that he was ready to clean up and head out.

Katniss quickly put herself to rights and opened the door.

He said, "I have all the little details to start working on now." He stepped around her to get to the sink to rinse out his brushes. "There are a _ton_. So it's going to take a while."

She wrapped her arm around his waist and kissed his cheek. She buried her face in his neck.

"What's that for?"

"Just because." She rubbed his back and kissed his cheek again. She stepped away. "Do you want lunch?"

"I need to get back to the bakery."

"Don't you eat lunch?"

He picked up her braid and ran his thumb over the end of it. "Nothing big."

"I have bread and lunch meat." She grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen.

* * *

When Peeta arrived the next day, Katniss waved him into Caleb's room to get to work while she filled out paperwork.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a lot of work to do."

He nodded and wandered off to paint. He sat down and started work on a corner. He was in a groove. He reached up with his brush to get a little higher when he felt the air shift. He looked over his shoulder to see Katniss standing there.

She combed her fingers through his hair as she dropped down onto his lap. "I just kind of had second thoughts about yesterday. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He sat his brush behind him and stretched until the paint was out of the way. "I think I have paint on my hands.

"I don't care." She pressed her mouth to his and kissed him deeply. "I want to kiss you for a while."

"I like the sound of that."

She stood and took his hands. She led him into the living room. "It feels weird doing it in there."

"I understand." He chuckled and reclined on the couch. She stretched out on top of him and kissed him softly over and over. She eventually stopped and rested her head on his chest.

"So do you want to talk about yesterday?" He asked softly.

"What about it?" She patted his chest.

"Is there something I need to do next time?"

She took several soothing breaths and then looked up at him. "It's not you. You have to know it's not."

He rubbed circles into her back. "But is there something I can do to help make it better?"

"Not. Just be patient. And be a good friend." She put her head on his chest again.

"Cal asked if she could go to this slumber party this weekend."

"Caleb has been asking about staying with Gale and Prim."

"Is that so?"

She looked up at him again. "So do you want to have our own slumber party this weekend?"

"I can bring the cheese buns."

"And I can make some spaghetti."

He pulled her in for a kiss. It was lazy and slow. Katniss loved when his kisses were like this. She felt the calm that radiated off him projected in the way he brushed his lips against hers. She slipped her hands under his shirt and pushed it up. She kissed her way down his neck. She continued to caress his stomach and sides as she brought her mouth back to his.

She ended the kiss and rested her head against his. "When is Callie's slumber party?"

"Saturday. I'm supposed to drop her off around three. Pick her up by about ten Sunday."

"Then let's shoot for about five Saturday evening."

"Okay."

"I have some coaching sessions Saturday. And I need to get some time in at the range. You could come watch me." She smiled.

He grinned. "I want to watch you in your underwear."

She giggled. "You want to watch me do target practice in my underwear?"

"Yeah."

She sat up. "Not gonna happen."

"Fair enough." He pulled his shirt down and sat up. "But I think we can agree to around five Saturday. I'll make the cheese buns here. You can help me."

"I can't wait." She kissed him once more and then stood. "You're a good friend, you know?"

He smiled and nodded. "So are you."

"You're not going to get all defensive and complain about being friendzoned?"

He shook his head. "The friendzone is a pretty sweet place to be right now."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"I'll get back to the mural." He patted her leg and walked out of the room.

"Mind if I watch?"

"Not at all."


	21. Chapter 21

**_Trigger warning_** _: More explicit talk of abuse._

Chapter Twenty-One

Katniss stood in the kitchen as Prim stirred a big pot of chili.

"Sure you can't stay? I'm using Dad's recipe." Prim asked.

"I'm sure. Peeta and I are hanging out for a while. He's going to show me how to make those cheese buns so I don't have to trek all the way to the bakery to get them." Katniss said.

"Like that's such a hardship." Her sister teased.

Katniss looked down at her hands. She moved closer to Prim. "He's my friend. That's it."

"Friends who look at each other the way you two do? I'm sure."

"Okay, we're a different kind of friends. But still friends. Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. If Caleb needs me, call. I don't care what time it is."

"We'll deal with it. If you're going to get naked with Peeta, we can take care of Caleb."

"I'm not going to get naked with Peeta."

"Whatever you say." Prim smiled knowingly. "If you remember, that's how it all started with me and Gale. One day just hanging out and the next day making out and getting naked and then we were married and now a baby." She patted her stomach. "Just be careful."

Katniss nodded, tired of denying it. "Don't spoil him too much, please." She walked into the living room and leaned over the back of the couch where Caleb and Gale played a video game. She kissed the top of Caleb's head. "I love you, baby. Have fun."

"'Kay." He said, not looking up.

"See you tomorrow, Gale."

"Tomorrow." He didn't look up either.

Katniss shook her head. "Boys never really grow up, do they?"

"Nope." Prim said. "Who's hungry?"

Caleb threw his controller down and ran into the kitchen. "Bye, Mama!"

Katniss hurried home and finished cleaning up the house until Peeta arrived. He came in with his arms loaded up with groceries.

"I think I brought enough. But first," he leaned toward her, "a kiss?"

She met him the rest of the way. "I'm so happy you're here." She kissed him again and then took half the bags from him and walked to the kitchen. "Prim suspects we're getting naked together."

"Oh, you mean that wasn't an option for tonight?" He started unloading the groceries.

"Ha-ha." She said sarcastically. "It's not at the top of the list."

"And what is?" He opened the fridge and started loading it.

"We'll talk about that later. What did you buy? You're staying a night, not the whole week."

He chuckled. "We're making cheese buns to go with supper. And I'll make an apple pie for dessert. Do you like pie? I make good pie. And then I thought I'd make some cinnamon rolls to go with breakfast. And breakfast will be omelets and sausage and hash browns—"

She pressed a kiss to his mouth. "You're spoiling me."

"If you lived with me, you would get it all the time."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You want to live with me? Aren't you moving a little fast? We're not even dating."

He rested his hands on her hips. "I don't want to live with you. Our schedules are so different. We'd never get any rest. Because by the time you get in bed, I'd want to have some sexy time. And by the time we'd wind down, I'd need to get up for my work."

She smiled. "You have sex on the brain, don't you?"

He shrugged. "It's a thing that happens with men."

"Happens with women, too." She laughed and brushed her lips over his. "So if you're making pie, please tell me you got ice cream."

"I did." He smiled. "Or what if I told you I'm churning it by hand?"

She laughed and kissed him again. "You're ridiculous. I don't believe you've ever made your own ice cream."

"I did once with Cal. But it didn't set. We ended up eating cold vanilla soup." He laughed and stepped away to finish putting everything up.

Katniss helped and then Peeta started working on the dough for the cheese buns. She was fascinated by the process and handed him each of the ingredients he asked for. He sat the dough aside to rise and Katniss started cooking the spaghetti.

"So back to what's at the top of the list for tonight…" Peeta said as he watched her.

She smiled. "You know, I've always wanted to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. Cuddle with an adult, that is. And watch an adult movie. I mean, not an _adult_ movie, but something with grown-up themes, you know?"

"You mean you don't want to watch Frozen for the ten millionth time?"

"Actually, Caleb's finally over Frozen. He rediscovered his love of Cars. We watch it at least three times a week." She laughed and stirred the sauce.

"I remember when Callie was about three, Beauty and the Beast was on a loop in our house. I think she liked the enchanted furnishings."

"I love Beauty and the Beast. It's one of my favorite Disney movies."

"Not mine. Not anymore." He chuckled. "Probably The Little Mermaid for me. I've always had a love of the sea mythology."

"You and your mythology." She teased.

"It's one of the things Alex and I had in common." He smiled sadly.

"What's your favorite myth?"

He thought a moment. "Do you know the story of Echo?"

She shook her head.

He started working on the final prep for the cheese buns. He was quick about it too. "Echo was a nymph. And one of Zeus's many, many, _many_ conquests. Hera, Zeus's wife, grew very jealous of these lovers and cursed some of them that she particularly disliked. Echo was one of them. She cursed her with only being able to repeat other people's last few words. That's why we call an echo an echo." He put the buns in the oven. "And so one day this man named Narcissus came through her forest on a hunt. And he was so handsome. She fell in love with him. But she couldn't speak to him, just repeat what he said. So she couldn't tell him she loved him. Couldn't even have a conversation in the first place. Meanwhile, Narcissus leaned down to get a drink from a lake. And he fell in love with his own reflection. And never Echo. And they both died never having love fulfilled."

"Why do you like that one?" She started adding noodles to the boiling water.

He shrugged. "I don't know. It just stuck with me from the first time I heard it."

"It's so sad."

"Many of the myths are. No one is happy. Except maybe Zeus. He got a lot of ladies."

"He got a lot of ladies that didn't want it."

He nodded. "True."

She stirred the noodles. She looked over. "I didn't mean to point that out."

"It's fact of your life that you see more than others."

"Do you point out when a spouse dies in something you're watching or talking about?"

"I notice it more than some people, I think." He gave himself a self-deprecating smile. "I can't even watch Finding Nemo."

She brushed her hand down his cheek. "I can't even imagine what it must be like to lose someone you love like that."

"I don't even know if I loved her." He whispered.

"Don't beat yourself up over that."

"I know. It's been so many years. I should be over it. But I hold on for Cal because...if I don't…I'll feel like I failed."

"She's got her grandparents for that, you know?" She turned away and pulled a colander out of a cabinet. "You can stop holding on whether or not you loved her and start loving someone else."

"Do you have a suggestion about who that should be?" He asked softly.

She poured the noodles into the colander in the sink as she said, "Anyone but me."

He slipped an arm around her waist. "Loving someone doesn't necessarily mean the same as being in love with someone. For the record. By the way, can I have a kiss?"

She turned her head. "You can't."

"Kiss you or love you?"

"Both." She stepped out of his embrace and went back to the spaghetti. "Do you like to mix it all together or pour the sauce over the noodles yourself?"

"Which do you prefer?"

"We usually just mix it all together."

"Then mix it together." He pulled a bag of salad out of the fridge and poured it into a bowl he sat in the middle of the table.

"When will you make the pie?" She brought the spaghetti to the table and sat it on a couple hot pads. Katniss took a tea towel out of the drawer as Peeta lifted the cheese buns out of the oven. He carried them over and sat them on the towel.

"As soon as we're done eating."

"Good. I like homemade pie."

"I like _this_." He said as she watched her set the table.

"Me too. What do you want to drink? Water? Milk? Grape Kool-Aid?"

He chuckled. "Do you have wine glasses?" He pulled a bottle out of a bag he'd left sitting on the counter.

"Wine gives me a headache." She said apologetically. She shook her head. "No, that's a lie. I tell everyone that. I'm so used to it."

"What's the truth?"

"After the first time with the wine coolers, Cato got in trouble. That was too much to take at once. But his folks had a big wine collection. So a bottle here and there wasn't big to miss. And he made me drink the whole thing. I guess he thought I'd be more compliant drunk. Then after we were married, we'd drink a couple bottles every night. He'd do his thing and I'd just let him." She poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher. "But thank you for the thought."

He put the bottle on the counter. "I'll give it to Finnick and Annie. It's no problem. Water is fine, by the way."

She poured another glass of water and they sat at the table together. They started assembling their plates. "I want to apologize again about the other day."

"It's fine."

"It can't always be fine, Peeta. You can't seriously be this easygoing."

He laid his hand palm up on the table. She slipped hers into it. "When I say 'It's fine.' I don't mean it's fine for me. I mean it's fine for you. I mean it's fine that you aren't comfortable and need to stop or change something. That I will be uncomfortable as long as you're comfortable."

She squeezed his hand and let go. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He twisted some noodles onto his fork and took a bite. He nodded. "Good." He chewed. "Really good. I should have you cook for me more often."

She laughed and tore a cheese bun in half. She moaned at the aroma and took a bite.

"Making sounds like that aren't helping me."

She blushed. "Sorry. Maybe you shouldn't cook orgasmic cheese buns for me anymore."

He smiled and took another bite of the spaghetti. He let out a luscious groan that sent heat between her thighs.

"Eat quickly." She said.

"What?"

"You heard me. We're going to finish what started the other day. But I'm hungry. So we'll eat first. We didn't labor over this stuff for it to get cold."

He smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

They did eat quickly and put the rest of the food away. Katniss took Peeta's hands and led him into the bedroom. He kicked his shoes off as he went.

She slipped his shirt off over his head and wrapped her arms around his waist. "This is a 'Yes.' Okay?"

"Okay." He pulled her shirt off and walked with her toward the bed. He took control of her mouth and pushed her pants over her hips. She tensed up and he paused. "You good?"

She nodded and kicked her pants off. She climbed into the bed and waited for him to follow.

Peeta removed his jeans and crawled across the bed to Katniss. "You first."

She smiled. "Okay."

He covered her mouth with his. He cupped her face. "Don't hold back. I want to hear it if you like it. And I need to hear if you don't."

"I'll let you know." She pulled him over her and tangled her feet with his.

He continued to kiss her lazily as his hand moved down her torso. He slipped his other hand into hers and tangled their fingers together. He broke the kiss and looked at her expectantly. "You okay?"

She smiled. "I feel great. Thank you."

He lowered his mouth to her neck.

"No." She pushed him down. "Not my neck."

"No problem." Once more he lowered his mouth and trailed gentle kisses over her collarbone.

She moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair.

He moved his mouth lower. "You still good?" He asked as he reached her navel.

"Mm-hm." Her breathing was ragged.

He looked up. "This next bit is a little more intense. I'll stop any time."

"Thanks."

He finally removed his hand from Katniss's and slipped his fingers under the band of her panties. She placed her hands on top of Peeta's to stop him.

"Just a minute."

"Take your time."

She took several calming breaths and then nodded. "Okay." She dropped her hands to the side and watched intently as he sat back and pulled the garment away. She lifted her legs as he removed them. He dropped them off the side of the bed and rested his hands on her thighs. They were pressed together.

"You still good?"

"I am." She bit her lip. "So are you still good?"

"Yes."

"Good." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she parted her legs and draped one on his other side.

He rubbed her thighs. "Just take your time to relax. I'll go whenever you're ready."

"You can tell I'm not?"

"You aren't looking directly at me. I want you looking at me."

She nodded and closed her eyes. She breathed in slowly through her nose and out through pursed lips.

Peeta said softly, "You're okay. Whenever you're ready, I am. And if you don't want to, we can stop right now. But I'm here. You're okay. This is all you. You say when."

Katniss slowly opened her eyes and smiled. She nodded. "Thank you. Okay. You can continue. _Please_ continue."

He smiled and lowered himself once more. He placed gentle kissed over her stomach as he slipped his hand between her thighs. He found the hard, ready nub and began rubbing slow circles into it. She gasped and arched her back. One hand tangled in his hair and her other gripped the sheet.

"You still good."

"Yeah." She moaned.

"Don't hold back." He said as he replaced his finger with his mouth. His hand moved farther back and slipped a finger inside her ready opening.

"Oh, my god!" She gasped and gripped his head tighter.

He hummed into her. He added another finger and her voice grew louder with each thrust of his hand. He caressed her thigh with his free hand. He felt her body tense as she met her peak.

She gasped and cried out again and again as she came. Her fingers relaxed on his head and she collapsed into the mattress, completely spent.

He slowly kissed his way up her body. He hovered over her. "Do you want me to go wash my face before I kiss you?"

She shook her head and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

He moved away and slipped his hand into hers.

"Did Alex never let you kiss her after that?" Katniss asked.

"No. She said it was gross."

"Cato didn't like kisses much anyway, but I never got to kiss him after I gave him a blow job."

"Ridiculous." Peeta kissed her hand. "You don't have to do that for me if you don't want."

"Well, I'd like to return your favor. Maybe not a blow job yet, though. Is that okay?"

He nodded. "Do whatever you're comfortable with."

"Thank you." She rolled into him and kissed his shoulder. "He used to hold me down by my neck."

"Hm?" He gave her a concerned look. "That's why you didn't want me kissing your neck?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "Not while you're on top of me.

"I'm not Cato."

"I know." She moved over him and straddled his hips. She rested her hands on his chest. "Are you a boob man?"

He chuckled. "I like looking at a nice pair."

She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. She dropped it off to the side.

He nodded. "That's a nice pair."

She laughed. "Thank you."

"You're far more undressed than me."

"You only have one more layer." She moved off to the side and pulled off his underwear, finally releasing his erection. "That definitely felt a lot bigger."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking." She wrapped her hand around him and slowly stroked him base to tip. "Thank you for checking in with me so much." She continued to pump her hand up and down.

He let out a long breath. "You're welcome."

"I felt really appreciated."

"Mm-hm." He nodded and watched her face. His eyes cut to where her hand moved over his length.

"Are you okay?"

"Trying really hard not to just come all over you in a matter of seconds."

She chuckled and leaned over him. "You can if you want. We have all night to do it again. As many times as you want."

"And you're the one that called me considerate." He panted.

"Well, I just want to help you out." She covered his mouth with hers and pumped her hand faster.

He moaned deep in his throat and clutched at her as he came. The warmth spilled over her hand and onto his stomach. She rested her head on his to watch his face as it relaxed. She smiled and kissed him once more. She looked at her hand and made a face before she wiped it across his chest.

"Men are gross."

He laughed. "Sorry."

She moved away and picked up the corner of her sheet to finish cleaning off her hand. "So was that okay? Did I do what you wanted?"

"It was good." He assured her. "It was really good."

"You're sure?"

He lifted his head and watched her a moment before he said, "Yeah." He used his side of the sheet to wipe off his stomach and then rolled to his side and moved into her. "Okay. This is great. All friendships should be like this."

She laughed. "Do you want Finnick to be next then?"

He laughed. "Probably not."

"And I don't think I could ever sleep with Gale. Brother-in-law status aside, I'm just not into him." She rubbed her hand on his arm. "I think _our_ friendship can just stay like this."

He nodded and kissed her temple. He looked at her. "The 'Yes' is still valid, right?"

"It is." She tangled her fingers in his. "How about we say my first 'Yes' any time we're together counts for the rest of our time together unless I decide to change my mind."

"That works for me." He brushed a kiss over her lips. "You taste really good, by the way."

She giggled. "That's a line from a romance novel."

"That's not a line, that's truth." He kissed her again.

"You like doing that, don't you?"

"I do."

"Did you and Alex make out a lot?"

He nodded. "She liked kisses, too."

Katniss watched Peeta's face for several silent moments. She said softly, "It's okay to let her go."

"I know." He propped up his elbow and rested his head on it. "I'm just still not ready."

"You don't have to be. But knowing that it's okay is the first step." She slipped her other arm around him and started stroking his back. "So what about Delly?"

"What about her?"

"When we showed up yesterday before school, she was kind of hanging all over you."

He made a face. "She doesn't hang all over me."

She mirrored his position and rested her hand on his hip. "Okay, not physically. But she is a major giggler. And she likes you."

"You could tell that, huh?"

"Yeah, I could. So is she an option?"

He shook his head. "Not my type. She did ask me to dinner. I asked for a raincheck."

"You should take it. Callie can hang out with me and Caleb for an evening."

"Are you sure? That seems weird."

"Why? Because we're talking about you going on a date with someone else while we're naked in my bed?"

He chuckled. "Well, now that you're talking about it…" He slanted a kiss against her lips. "Want to go make a pie?"

"Are you avoiding the conversation?"

"I am."

"Why?"

He kissed her again and rolled out of the bed. "Maybe I have someone else in mind and I want to wait."

"For what?"

"Where did you put my underwear?"

She reached over the side of the bed and lifted the garment up. "What are you waiting for?"

He took them and slipped them on. "Waiting for our lives to sync up."

"And if it doesn't happen?"

He shrugged. "Until then, I have a hot friend willing to exchange pleasure when our kids are staying with other people." He stepped into his jeans and picked up his shirt. "I'll go start the crust."

"Hey, could you do it without a shirt?"

He grinned and threw his shirt to her. "Only if you wear it."

She slipped it over her head. "Deal." She rolled off the other side and found her panties and followed him into the kitchen.

* * *

 _Author's note: What do you guys think of that?!_


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's note: A couple big things happen here. One is a little traumatic ( **trigger warning for aftermath of abuse** ). But it's preface with a little loveliness, to soften the blow._

 _Thank you so much for all the reviews. Much appreciated!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Two

As the pie cooled, Katniss dozed on Peeta's chest on the couch. A movie played on the TV. He wasn't paying a lot of attention. He combed his fingers through her hair and down her back. He enjoyed having the weight of her on top of him. It was a comfort to know he wasn't alone. If he had been at home by himself, he would have made something simple for supper and already been asleep in bed.

Katniss stirred and looked up at him. "Hi." She smiled.

He smiled. "Hi."

"I fell asleep. I'm sorry."

"I don't mind." He kissed her forehead.

"Is that pie ready yet?"

"I believe it may be. But you have to get off me to check."

She pressed a kiss to his lips before she sat up and stretched.

He watched her. She still wore only his shirt and her panties. Her thighs and hips were visible. He reached out and ran his hand down her leg. They leaned in at the same time and met for a kiss.

"Pie or make out?" She asked.

"That's a hard one." He kissed her again. "I did a lot of work to make that pie perfect."

"You did. But it will still be there in a few minutes." She reclined on the couch and pulled him on top of her.

Their mouths met as their hands began to explore. Peeta's hand moved under Katniss's shirt and cupped her breast. She moaned and pressed herself up into his touch. He lifted the shirt until her breasts were exposed to the air. He dropped his head and rained kisses over both the mounds. She wiggled beneath him as the heat rose in her body.

"Peeta, please?" She whined.

"What do you want?" He took her nipple into his mouth and sucked. He twirled his tongue around it as he massaged the other.

She shifted underneath him and removed her underpants. She took his hand from her other breast and slipped it between her thighs. "Keep your mouth where it is."

He hummed his assent and sent a jolt to where his hand moved against her. She bucked her hips against him and he added pressure and speed. He lifted his head and watched her for several ragged breaths. Her eyes were closed. She spoke a string of unintelligible words. He smiled and pressed his lips to the valley between her breasts and over to the other to give it the same attention.

As soon as his lips made contact, she let out a loud moan and pressed every bit of her into him. Her senses exploded and her eyes popped open. She gasped his name as she met her climax. He brought his mouth back to hers and kissed her lazily as she came down from the high.

"You going to leave your hand there all night?" She asked with a smirk.

He chuckled and slowly moved his hand from her warmth and up under her waist to hold her close. "Sorry."

"It's fine." She kissed him again and slipped her hands under his waistband. "Stand up."

He did. She grabbed his hips and pulled him in front of her as she sat up. She unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down. She swallowed as she looked at him. She felt suddenly unsure if her own intentions.

He dropped to his knees in front of her. He smiled. "I know you _want_ to reciprocate, but I see that you're thinking about something."

"I don't know if I can do… Are you partial to blow jobs or can we take those off the table?"

"Gone. Anything else?" He kissed her hands.

"Do you want something else?"

"Are you up for it?"

She opened her mouth and shut it again. "I'm sorry." Her face contorted.

He cupped her cheeks. "It's fine. There's still pie."

"To put your dick in?"

He chuckled. "To put in our mouths." He stood and pulled up his pants. He made an uncomfortable face as he fastened them around his erection.

She pointed. "That's not okay."

"It's not. But it will be."

She shook her head. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"It's not being difficult, it's being accommodating." He walked toward the kitchen.

She followed. She took his hips and backed him against the counter. She pressed her palm over his erection as she put her mouth over his.

Peeta's arms clutched at her as Katniss continued to caress him. He pressed into her touch and moaned into her mouth. He came rather quickly and leaned back against the counter. "God, Katniss."

She looked down. "Better go change those."

He followed her gaze. "Probably should. Good thing I'm staying the night."

She moved away and got two plates from the cabinet.

"You didn't put your panties back on."

"I didn't." She took out a knife and started slicing the pie. "Got a problem with that?"

He smirked and shook his head. "No, ma'am." He stepped up behind her and gently grabbed her hips. "How about we eat this in bed and then fall asleep tangled in the sheets?"

"Okay. You go change and I'll be in in a couple minutes."

"Sounds good to me." He kissed her cheek and stepped away.

* * *

Peeta woke up needing to use the bathroom, but with Katniss draped over his chest, he didn't want to move. He lay there a few more minutes until he couldn't stand it anymore. He gently pushed her off to the side and hurried from the room.

He returned to find her curled into a tight ball on the other side of the bed. He wrapped himself around her and she immediately started screaming and lashing out.

He grabbed her wrists. "Hey, Katniss. Calm down."

She only thrashed even harder.

He moved away. "Katniss, wake up."

She opened her eyes and looked around wildly until she figured out where she was. She rolled over and pressed her face into the pillow and sobbed heavily.

"It's okay." He slowly moved closer and wrapped an arm around her.

She moved and pressed her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He rubbed her back.

She looked up. "Did I hurt you?"

"No. Did I hurt you?"

"No." She rested her head on his chest again. "I don't think I can get back to sleep."

Peeta picked up his phone. "Well, it's almost five."

"You slept in." She teased.

"I did. It feels good. You want me to make breakfast?"

"Fresh cinnamon rolls." She sighed.

"Yes. It'll take a few hours."

"Sounds good to me. I'll watch you work."

He gently took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. "Will you go somewhere with me later?"

"Where?"

"The cemetery. I want to…I'm going to let her go."

"You don't have to do it right away."

"It's time I did. And I want you there."

"What about the kids?"

"We can pick them up and head up there." He kissed her again. "What do you say?"

"Okay."

They spent the rest of the morning being as close to each other as possible, even showering together. Somehow they managed to wash between kisses.

"What's that?" Katniss pointed to a scar running across Peeta's knee as he propped his leg up to dry it. "I didn't notice it."

"The lighting is better in here." He smiled. "I played football in high school. But when I was at the end of my junior year season, I took a bad fall and tore my ACL. Had to get surgery and everything. I never played another game again." He wrapped a towel around his waist. He trailed his finger along a scar on her stomach. "C-section?"  
She nodded.

"Stretch marks." He touched a few. "You have a bit more character than me." He held out his hands. "A few burns. That's it for me."

She turned and pointed to her shoulder. "I got shot by a kid once."

"Whoa!" He touched the spot and then kissed it. He wrapped his arms around her. "Beautiful."

"So are you." She leaned against him a moment and then stepped away. "We should get dressed. Have to get our kids and go to your errand."

He nodded.

She cupped his cheek. "Let me know how I can help you."

"I will." He turned his head and kissed her palm. "Bathroom is all yours." He stepped out.

They finally were headed out. They picked up Caleb first. He saw Peeta and ran into his arms, bypassing his mother.

"Why are you here?" He asked happily.

"Your mom and I decided we wanted to get you and Callie and take a small trip that's very important to me." Peeta explained.

Katniss kissed her son's head and walked a little farther into the house. She wrapped her arms around her sister. "How did he do?"

Prim hugged her tightly. "He did really well. Didn't want to go to sleep. Gale ended up sleeping with him."

Gale shrugged. "It was fine by me. Caleb doesn't hog the blanket."

"I get cold." Prim defended.

"So do I. And I can't help it that you're not a cuddler."

Peeta chuckled and exchanged a look with Katniss. "We need to go get Callie."

"We do." Katniss kissed her sister's temple. She patted Prim's stomach. "This one can stay with me any time."

"I'm going to be begging you for that, I'm sure." Prim chuckled.

"Caleb, tell your aunt and uncle thank you."

Caleb took turns hugging each of the other adults. They then picked up Callie who happily greeted Caleb and Katniss as she got into the car.

Peeta leaned into the car and kissed her cheek. "I missed you, kid."

"Missed you too, Dad."

He looked between the other two and then back to his daughter. "You want to go see Mom?"

Callie looked around the car and then nodded. "Yeah. We haven't gone in a while."

"It's been too long." He kissed her forehead and closed the door.

* * *

Caleb had one of Peeta's hands and Callie had the other as they picked their way through the graves. Peeta and Callie knew the way. Katniss trailed behind, wanting to wrap her arms around her friend's sagging shoulders.

"Here." Callie said.

"Alexandrea Marie Mellark." Caleb read.

Callie read the rest. "Beloved daughter, wife, and mother." She sat down in front of the headstone. "Hi, Mom."

Caleb sat beside her and watched her as she traced the letters and numbers. He reached up and traced them, too. "Do you miss her?"

"I never knew her. So not really." Callie admitted.

"I never knew my daddy."

Peeta covered his face with his hands and leaned forward. His shoulders shook.

Katniss reached out and rubbed his back.

He looked at her. "Do you think I could get some time alone here?"

"Sure." She squeezed his shoulder and then kneeled down beside the kids. "Hey, let's take a walk. Sometimes I like to find names I've never seen before."

Callie stood and pointed toward the entrance. "There's one over there with the name Verity."

Katniss held out her hand. "Why don't you show me?"

Peeta watched them walk away. Caleb looked back over his shoulder for several steps and Peeta gave him a reassuring smile. He sat down in the spot his daughter had just vacated. He reached out and dusted the grass clippings and dirt off the base of the headstone.

"Hi, Alex. That woman is Katniss. And the boy is her son. And I like them a lot. She doesn't think she likes me yet, but I hope she changes her mind." He traced her name slowly. "I'm here to let you go. I hate to." His voice broke. "But I can't keep holding onto the past. I'll tell Callie about you whenever she asks, but I won't be loving you the same anymore. Or worried that I loved you at all. It was so long ago, wasn't it?" He felt the tears rolling hotly down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Alex. I'm so tired. I'm tired of this weight I have from you."

He looked over when he heard the kids laughing. They leaned close to a headstone. He saw Katniss had a look of playful disapproval on her face.

He whispered, "I think I love her."

Peeta felt his shoulders lighten at the admission. But he didn't know how he would ever convince Katniss. He'd just follow in her lead and see where their friendship took them. As long as the things they did last night could be repeated, he knew he'd probably never be completely satisfied. But if that was what satisfied her, he would let it continue for years.

"I'll bring Callie to see you. And we'll definitely still keep in touch with your folks. But I probably won't come back. I'm moving on." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the cold stone and stood.

Katniss watched as the kids played leap frog near the entrance to the cemetery. Peeta slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it.

She wiped his cheeks with her thumb. "Better?"

He nodded. "I will be." He watched the two play for a while then he looked back at her. "I need a kiss."

She smiled and placed her hand on his cheek. She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. She whispered, "I'll give you a better one when we're alone."

He squeezed her hand again. "Thank you." He smiled and ran forward. He took a giant leap over both kids. "Who's hungry?"

The kids chorused, "Me!"

Callie asked, "Can we eat with Grandma and Grandpa?"

"I'll invite them. I think we need to go to that pizza place you like. The one with the games."

Katniss said, "Peeta, are you sure?"

"I am." He put his phone to his ear. "Hey, Al, how's it going?"

"Oh, pretty good. Just setting up the grill. You in town? Want to join us?"

"We were going to get pizza, but I think your hamburgers will be better."

Callie nodded enthusiastically.

"Callie agrees. Can we bring two guests?"

Al chuckled. "Sure can. Katniss and Caleb?"

Peeta paused. "Yeah. Is that okay?"

"It's fine. So are you dating her yet?"

He chuckled. "I'll talk with you about that one when I get there. Fair enough?"

"Sure. See you in a bit."

"Change of plan. Al makes the _best_ burgers. He seasons them just right and he stuffs them with cheese. Mm, they are so good."

Katniss smiled and nodded. "Sounds good. Should we go pick something up to share?"

Peeta shook his head. "They have everything. But I'll be helping with the grill. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Load up." He told the kids. He took Katniss's hand and led her several feet away. "If they make you uncomfortable, let me know. After I tell them about this, they're probably going to push me to date. And they may look to you."

She nodded. "I'll be fine." She rested her hand on his chest. "Are you going to be okay?"

He placed his hand on top of hers. "I already am. I actually felt my shoulders get lighter."

She reached up and wiped at a wayward tear. "I'm always available to talk."

"I know." He looked over her shoulder and pulled her behind a small brick wall. "Can I get proper kiss?"

She nodded and parted her lips just a little. His lips made contract with hers and their tongues slid together slowly. He pulled away and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Thank you." He stepped away.

"You're welcome."


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's note: Thanks for reading! Thanks for reviewing! Thanks for following! Thanks for favoriting! Thanks for being awesome!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Hi, Andi!" Caleb said happily as he stepped in front of her.

She chuckled. "Hi, Caleb." She smoothed a hand over his hair. "How are you today?"

"Fine. We met Callie's mama today. And then Mama and Callie and me looked at the names and found some funny ones, but I don't remember them now. Can we come inside your big, pretty house?"

She smiled and nodded. "You may."

"Hi, Andi." Katniss said kindly. She grabbed Caleb's arm before he ran inside. "Thank you for having us."

"I'm happy you're here." She said. She wrapped her arms around Katniss.

After a shocked moment, Katniss returned Andi's embrace. The other woman held her out at arms-length. Caleb ran inside.

"I think Lexie would be happy you were in Callie's life."

"I'm very happy to be in her life. So that means a lot to me that you think that." She looked over her shoulder at Peeta as he talked to Al. "I think I need to find Caleb."

"Callie went with him. It's fine." Andi walked with her toward her husband and Peeta. She placed her hand on the younger man's back and he slipped his around hers.

"I want to tell you both something." He said. "We went to Alex's grave. And I let her go." He found Katniss's eyes and held them as he calmed his churning thoughts.

Andi pulled him into a hug and patted his back as she cried into his shoulder. "You'll be okay."

"Yeah." He closed his eyes tightly.

Caleb came running out. "Mama, you gotta see this bathroom. It's as big as my bedroom!"

"In a minute, baby." Katniss said softly.

"Why is Peeta sad?" Caleb asked in a loud whisper.

Peeta let go of Andi and kneeled in front of Caleb. "I'm not sad, Caleb. I'm happy. I did a big thing today that I will explain to you when you're bigger. But what it means is that my life is changing."

"And it's a good change?"

"Very good." He pulled the boy into his arms and whispered, "I love you, Caleb."

"I love you, Peeta." He said as he hugged back.

Peeta stood and caught Katniss's eyes again. He wanted to tell her, too, but he'd keep it in for a while.

They sat around talking for the afternoon around the grill as Al cooked. Peeta tried to help, but was waved off. As the table was being set, Peeta's phone went off.

"It's the bakery. I'll be right back." He answered his phone. "Hello?"

"Peeta, it's Delly. I'm sorry to bother you. I know you wanted your whole weekend, but I need some help with something."

"What's going on?"

"A customer came in and said she had ordered a cake. But I have no order in the computer or written down and she says she needs something today."

"How big did she need it?"

"A quarter sheet."

"Is there not one in the cooler? We usually make a couple of those just in case."

She paused. "Oh, there is one back here."

"Fantastic. Give her a five percent discount and apologize. I may have taken down an order and forgot about it or someone took one over the phone and the memo got misplaced. If she needs a message, get Chip to do it. He's good with lettering and knows where all the piping bags are."

"Okay." She paused. "Hey, Peeta, have you thought about that dinner?"

He looked toward the deck. Katniss laughed at a story Al was telling. "I don't think I can, Delly. You're my employee. It would be inappropriate."

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. I'm sorry I bothered you."

"No, it's fine. And I'm sorry about the dinner thing." He finished the phone call and went back to the rest of the group. "Sorry about that, guys. Bakery drama."

Katniss absently rubbed his knee underneath the table.

He chuckled. "And my manager asked me on a date."

"Did you say yes?" Katniss asked. "Like I told you you should?"

"I said no, like I told you I would." He answered. "She's not my type."

"And what is you type?" Al asked.

Peeta cut his eyes to Katniss a moment and then pushed her hand away. "She has to like Callie, be smart and funny, know what she wants in life." He shrugged. "Delly meets only a couple of those requirements. Also, she's my employee and that's not appropriate."

The kids started chasing each other after lunch. Peeta leaned close to Katniss and started playing with her braid.

She moved her hair over her opposite shoulder. "Stop."

He smiled and dropped his hand to her shoulder. "I should probably check in on the bakery." He danced his fingers over her shoulder and tickled the back of her neck.

"Peeta, stop." She moved away. "Go call your girlfriend and make sure the bakery isn't burning down."

He laughed. "Yeah, she may have done something after I rejected her." He tickled the back of her neck again.

She batted at his hand. "It's always the nice ones you have to look out for."

He tickled her again.

She laughed and poked his side. "Get away from me."

He stood up and stuck his hand quickly under her arm and then ran away as Katniss threw a napkin at him.

"You better be glad I don't have my bow, you jerk." She called after him.

Andi smiled. "He's so sweet."

Katniss nodded. "Yeah. He's been great for Caleb."

"Does he have no other men in his life?" Andi made an embarrassed face. "That is not my business. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." Katniss assured her. "My brother-in-law is a big part of his life. He stays with him and my sister quite a bit. And Finnick Odair? Do you know him?"

"Oh, yes! One of Lexie and Peeta's high school friends. He married Annie Cresta, didn't he?"

"Yes. Finnick and Annie are like another aunt and uncle to him. Finnick works at my camp every summer."

Al asked, "Doesn't he do home repair?"

"Yes, he's great at it too. Jack of all trades. He fixed a leaky shower for me that my brother-in-law _thought_ he could fix and only made worse." Katniss chuckled. "There were a few other projects he did for me, too."

Peeta dropped into the chair beside her again. "Nothing's broken yet. Either that or Madge lied to me."

"Madge? What happened to Delly?" Katniss was concerned.

"Seems she suddenly got sick." He said.

"That's too bad. Does Madge have a boyfriend? Since you screwed the other one up."

"Don't make me tickle you again."

"Right, you don't date." She said.

"I don't date employees." He argued.

She shook her head. "You're driving me nuts."

"How about I drive you home instead?"

"Time to go?"

He nodded. "There was a call for a cake consult and they can only come in today. So I have to get back there."

"Okay." She got up and called, "Hey, kids, time to go."

They groaned and trudged up the steps. Caleb hugged the older couple after Callie did. They both welcomed his hugs and Katniss had to hide her face. Caleb would never know the man who bore his name before. And he'd only met his grandmother on a Christmas several years before. She always volunteered for the holiday shifts so that young people with families could spend time with them.

"Thank you for lunch, Mr. Al." Caleb said.

Al said, "Just call me Al. And you are very welcome for lunch."

Andi assured him, "You are welcome any time."

Peeta leaned toward Katniss and asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Okay." He patted her hand. He bid farewell to his parents-in-law and led everyone toward the car.

"Can I get your number, Katniss?" Andi asked before they got too far.

"Um, sure." She waited until the older woman took out her phone and then rattled off her number.

"I'd like to have the kids over for an afternoon. I'll give you a call to set it up."

Katniss said. "He's never really stayed with people who weren't family or close friends. So I'll have to think about it."

"He stayed with me that once." Peeta pointed out, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She stepped out of his embrace. "I was desperate. And he was at the bakery. You weren't the only one there."

"True."

"Speaking of the bakery, you need to get back there. And you have to drop Caleb and me off first."

He hugged the others once more and led Katniss to the car. She slipped her hand in his a moment and squeezed.

"Callie can stay with me for a while."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I mean, if she wants to. And if you want her to. I'll bring her back to you later."

"Okay. Sure." He looked in her face and whispered, "I want to kiss you so much."

"Tomorrow. You can have all the kisses you want tomorrow." She got in the car and waited for him to make it around to the other side.

* * *

Peeta stepped into the bakery and was greeted with a crush of customers. Madge led him toward the consultation table to a woman with close cropped hair and another that looked like a beauty pageant contestant.

"I'm Johanna." The first woman said. "My father said he spoke with you about a wedding cake."

"Haymitch's daughter?"

"That would be my old man." She said with a fond smile.

"Okay, I actually have a couple sketches I did for you. Hold on and I'll be right back." He walked to the back and found a folder. His phone buzzed with a text from Finnick.

" _Dinner with the Odairs? Heard a rumor you were with a certain archery coach and we need details._ "

He quickly replied, " _I'll let you know. Working._ "

He sat down in front of the brides again and laid out two sheets of paper. "So your dad said you weren't very traditional. With that in mind, this first is definitely not traditional. We have square tiers, but off-center and sort of wobbly. And the other is the traditional tiers, but it can be any color you can imagine."

The two exchanged a look. Johanna said, "Actually, we really were looking for something traditional for the cake. Everything else is going to be sort of out there and we wanted everyone to be at least a little comfortable with this part. So we'd like to go a little…I don't want to say boring, but that's kind of what we were thinking."

"I can do that."

"Vanilla cake, white frosting."

"Flowers?"

Glimmer asked, "You can put flowers on it?"

"We watch those shows, baby." Johanna rolled her eyes. "She's pretty, but sometimes she's not that bright."

Peeta was a little shocked to hear the woman say that. But his shock didn't last long.

Glimmer said, "She talks like that because she thinks being blunt is okay with everyone. Used to hurt my feelings." She draped her arm over the back of the other woman's chair. "I meant like what kind of flowers? Like roses or pansies or can you do anything? And how much will it cost?"

"My dad is paying for it." Johanna said.

"Jo, you're dad isn't a bank. And he's not a super rich guy. You know that."

"Yeah, well, he's not happy I'm marrying you. I'm bleeding him dry."

"Stop." Glimmer looked across the table. "So flowers?"

Peeta smiled. "I'm talented. I can get you pretty much anything you want."

"Calla lilies?" Johanna asked.

"I definitely can." Peeta started taking notes as they worked out the rest of the details.

"Okay, so here's the thing." Johanna leaned forward. "The wedding is in Roanoke."

"In Virginia?"

"Yes. Can you deliver a cake there?"

"That's four hours away. I'll have to assemble on site if you want it all in one piece."

"We can put you up in a hotel. Part of the payment." Johanna said.

"Out of _our_ part of the budget." Glimmer said to her fiancée.

"Sure, babe."

A few minutes later, the arrangements were made. Peeta sent the women on their way and went in the back to call Katniss. "Hey, can you spare an overnight trip at the start of November?"

"I don't know. Depends."

"Caleb can come, too. I have a cake to put together in Roanoke."

"I guess. Yeah. We could make a weekend of it and spend time all of us together."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Want me to make you something for supper? Or do you want to order out? Or we could eat this leftover spaghetti?"

"Finnick actually invited me for dinner with them. Want me to see if you can come along?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Why not?"

"Because then Finnick will think we're sleeping together."

"We kind of are." He whispered.

She chuckled. "Well, they don't have to know that. I think I'll pass. Mostly…" She paused and whispered, "I want to push you against the wall and kiss you until you can't breathe whenever I'm with you and we've been together almost three days."

Peeta looked over his shoulder and moved farther into the back room. He pressed the phone close and said softly, "Tomorrow, I will be at your house as soon as you drop Caleb off at school. And I am going to meet you at the door. I'll walk with you inside. Then I will sit you down on the couch…"

"Don't stop there." Katniss demanded. He could hear her ragged breath through the phone.

He chuckled. "What do you want me to do?"

"I'm not saying! The kids are right here."

He laughed again. "I guess we'll just have to see tomorrow, won't we?"

"Yeah, tomorrow. I'll bring Callie back to you." She whispered, "After you're done with me on the couch, I think a shower would be in order."

He groaned. "You're killing me, Katniss."

"And what do you think you're doing to me?" She laughed. "See you in a few minutes."

"Not soon enough." He murmured.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's note: Oh, hey, finally a new chapter. It could very well be a while until the next chapter because next week is my vacation. So I hope you are satisfied with this one. Let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading._

Chapter Twenty-Four

"I'm waiting for you." Peeta said into the phone.

"You are? Well this drop off line is a million years long and we were running late this morning."

"Maybe we can start taking turns carpooling."

"Maybe. It would give you a good excuse, wouldn't it?"

"It sure would. I can't wait to have my hands all over you."

Caleb called from the back, "Mama, my stomach feels weird."

"I'll see you in a bit. Bye." Katniss hung up the phone. "Feels weird how?"

"Just all wobbly. And it kinda hurts."

"Well, we're almost there. Go straight to the bathroom. That may just be the problem. But if you get sick, have Hazelle call me."

"Okay." He said softly.

She stopped in front of the door. "I love you, baby."

"Love you, Mama." He slowly got out and she watched him.

Katniss drove home quickly. She jumped out of the car and hurried to the door. She let Peeta inside and then pressed him against the door. "Tell me what you're going to do to me." She said seductively.

He grinned. He took hold of her hips and lifted her up. As she wrapped her legs around his waist, he kissed her deeply. He began his journey down the hall to her bedroom.

"You just carried me all the way here." She panted as he sat her on her feet.

"I did. I lug sacks of flour all day. You're light in comparison."

She giggled and kissed him again. She stepped back and kicked off her shoes. She slipped her shirt off and slid back on the bed, crooking her finger as a sign he should follow.

He moved over her and kissed her deeply.

And then her phone started ringing. She groaned and reached in her pocket to answer. Peeta continued to kiss her neck and shoulders as he moved behind her. She pushed him away. "Hello?"

"Hi, Katniss, it's Hazelle."

"Oh, no, Caleb was sick after all." She moved away as Peeta's lips finally broke contact.

"Yes. He's been in my office throwing up for the last several minutes. He finally stopped. He's lying down."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." She hung up. "Caleb is sick." With one more kiss, Katniss was out the bedroom door.

He followed, "Do you mind if I use your facilities to relieve this? It's been bothering me pretty much since I left you yesterday."

She laughed. "Knock yourself out."

"I'll be thinking of you."

"You better be." She winked. "Just be quick about it. I won't be long."

"One more kiss?"

"One more." She put her hand on the back of his head and gave him a deep, lingering kiss. "There's for your memory. Clean up after yourself." She turned on her heel and hurried out the door.

At the school, she made her way quickly inside the front door and into the office. "I'm here for Caleb Everdeen."

"Mama." His pathetic voice came to her as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Hey, baby." She rubbed his back as she signed him out.

Hazelle walked over and said, "I'm so sorry. There's a bug going around. Looks like he caught it."

Katniss picked him up. "He was complaining about a bellyache, but I just thought it was Monday morning jitters." She kissed his temple. "Have you given him anything?"

"I gave him some a little Tylenol for the fever and he said his head hurt."

Katniss nodded. "Thank you, Hazelle."

"You should come to Wednesday night dinner." The older woman said.

"We'll see. Depends on how he's feeling."

"You can bring your boyfriend."

Katniss said quickly, "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Caleb was telling me all about Peeta and Callie."

Katniss sighed. "They're friends. But Caleb and Peeta are pretty chummy. And Callie is pretty cool with me."

Hazelle leaned close and whispered, "You're not getting any younger Katniss." She winked and rubbed Caleb's back. "Get better, Caleb."

"Thanks, Hazelle." He said. He sounded pitiful.

"Time to get you home, baby." Katniss said.

Caleb threw up in the car just as they were pulling into the driveway. Katniss sighed and put the car in park. She carried him inside and left all the doors of her car open. This would be fun. Good thing Peeta wasn't just some random guy, but a good enough friend he'd keep an eye on Caleb while she cleaned up her car. Hopefully it wasn't as bad as she feared.

She sat Caleb on the couch and stripped off his shirt. "Let me get you a new one." She pulled a blanket over him as he lay down. "If you have to puke again, please run for the bathroom."

"Okay."

She tossed the shirt into the bathroom as she passed. She got to Caleb's room and paused at the sight of Peeta leaned close to the wall to work on a detail. She rested her head on his shoulder when he dipped his brush in more paint.

"How is he?" Peeta asked, not taking his eyes off the wall.

"Pretty sick. He puked all over my back seat."

He looked over. "I can clean that up for you."

"No, it's fine. Will you just keep an eye on him while I do it?"

"No problem."

"Thanks." She kissed his cheek. "You should call Delly."

He sighed and put his brush down. "Why would I do that?"

"Because she deserves a Peeta Mellark." She twirled a strand of his hair around her finger.

" _You_ deserve a Peeta Mellark."

"I have one already." She kissed his cheek again and stepped away. "I'll let him know you're in here."

"Okay,"

She gently scratched his back. "You know where I stand."

"Yeah."

"So don't push this, please." She took a shirt out of the dresser and walked into the living room. She pulled Caleb up and slipped the shirt over his head.

He stuck his arms in and said, "Mama, I'm so sleepy."

"You can sleep all day if you want. Peeta's working in your room, okay? I'm going to clean my car."

"Sorry, hurled everywhere." He lay back down again.

"It's okay." She kissed his forehead. "Call for Peeta if you need anything before I get back in."

He nodded and rolled away and closed his eyes.

Katniss almost hurled herself while she was cleaning up the car. It took so many cleaning products and she had to pause several times. Peeta stepped out after a while.

"You good?" He asked.

"I'm glad summer finally let up. I've never been good with vomit." She wiped sweat off her brow. "How is he?"

"Sleeping." He watched her. "I want to have a talk. We need to lay some things on the table."

"What things?" She attacked her carpet with cleaner once more and scrubbed.

"You need to stop trying to get me to date. I don't want to date any more than you do. I feel like you're pushing me at Delly. I don't want Delly. She's _too much_ and I need a lot less. I need someone more like you. If I were dating, anyway. But right now, we're both getting what we need. And that's all that matters."

She sat back on her heels and looked up at him. She nodded. "I get it. But Annie made a point to me about you and commitment. And I want to make sure you aren't feeling short-changed." She stood and rested her forehead against his chest. "Friends with benefits is definitely not ideal in the long run, but for now it's all I can do." She looked up. "We're okay, right?"

"We are." He leaned forward and kissed her quickly. He stepped away just as fast. "I'm sorry, I should have asked for that."

"It's fine. I give you blanket consent."

"Does that mean I get to cover up the next time we're naked together?"

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It means you don't have to ask every time anymore. Just don't come at me like that again, okay?"

"Okay." He kissed the top of her head.

She stepped away and started gathering her cleaning supplies.

"So what are you doing about your sessions today?"

"I'll call and cancel. I don't want Prim to risk getting whatever he has." She rubbed her face. "One parent is going to demand a refund." She groaned.

"I can always hang out here."

"You have work, too." She sighed.

"I know my schedule. I'll just work late." He rubbed her arms. "I'm good. I want to help you out."

"You won't get any sleep."

"I'll be fine." He cupped her cheek. "Let me help you. It's what friends do, right?"

"Gunning for a blow job?" She asked with a grin.

He chuckled. "I'm gunning for you to let me help you. We can reward each other later." He winked.

She smiled and looked down. "I appreciate you. Thank you."

"I'll call the school and figure out how to get Callie here. If that's okay?"

"Fine. I'll bring food home for all of you."

"Thank you." He kissed her again.

She smiled. "I want to grab your face, but I'm afraid my hands still smell like puke."

He chuckled.

"Mama?" Caleb called from the doorway.

"Coming, baby." She stepped around Peeta and hurried up the steps.

"Can I sleep in my bed? The couch is itchy."

Katniss scooped him up into her chest. "You can sleep in my bed. Peeta was just in there painting. It's not good for you to sleep in there when you're sick." She put him in her bed and then closed the door.

Peeta walked into the house talking on the phone. "I understand, Delly, but something came up. You know what to do to keep the place running. Call Madge for backup and you will get an extra day off soon." He finished the call.

"Trouble in paradise?" Katniss said with a grin.

He chuckled. "I think she hates me. But I pay her well and she basically runs the place." He tapped his phone on his palm. "I may need a new manager."

"If she quits, then she quits. It's not your problem that she had a crush on you that went farther than you wanted." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "And then you promote Madge and promote one of the other people that has been working there long enough to be comfortable into Madge's position. And you continue with your business." She brushed a kiss over his lips. "Do you want some lunch? I'll make him some soup."

"You don't have to do that."

"Make my sick kid soup?" She asked with a grin.

He pressed his nose against hers. "Make me anything." He kissed her again, deeper than the last.

Katniss looked over her shoulder and then walked him into Caleb's room. She moved just inside the door and pressed her mouth to Peeta's in a lingering kiss. His hands slid up her back as they pressed their bodies together.

He moaned and broke the kiss. "We need to stop that."

She nodded and stepped out of his arms. "Lunch?"

"Let me."

* * *

Peeta sat beside Caleb and laid a palm on his forehead. He was pretty warm. He looked at Katniss's text again.

" _Is he okay?_ " She'd asked.

" _Feels like fever's back. Thermometer?_ " He responded.

" _Medicine cabinet._ "

Peeta found the thermometer. It was one that you put against the forehead. He sat down once more and pressed it to the boy's head.

"Is it high?" Caleb asked.

Peeta smiled and shook his head. "Not too high." He wrote Katniss, " _99.9_ "

" _Cold compress unless it gets higher. Please check again in a half hour?_ " She asked.

" _Will do._ "

His phone rang as he was digging for a wash cloth. He pressed it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Peeta!" Finnick exclaimed. "How the hell are you?"

"Fine. I'm playing nurse. What are you up to?"

"Playing nurse? Callie got that bug?"

"No, Caleb. I hope Callie doesn't get it." He sat back down on the bed and draped the cool cloth over Caleb's face.

The boy sighed and smiled. "Thank you, Peeta."

"You're welcome, kid."

Finnick asked, "Are you trying to earn points? How many more until she blows you?"

"Shut up, man." He hurried out of the room. "That is so not an option."

"Not an option? Why? Every guy deserves a good suck every now and then."

Peeta scoffed. "Why are you so crude?"

"Just trying to get information. You weren't very forthcoming yesterday, but you seem to be spending an awful lot of time with the Everdeens."

"With a single mother of a son? Gee, I wonder why I would be coming around so much? Not because he needs a positive male influence or that my daughter needs a positive female influence. And as many of them as we can each get. And I happen to like the kid. And it's hard enough for her to get stuff done with him. He's sick. My job is more flexible."

"Woo-psh!"

"Is that supposed to be a whip?"

Finnick laughed. "Yes. You're whipped! And you aren't even sleeping with her."

Peeta smiled to himself. "Well, not yet."

The other man sputtered. "Wait, what?"

Peeta took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You can't say anything to anyone. Not even Annie. Okay?"

"Cross my heart."

"We had a sleepover last weekend. And some things happened."

"Holy shit! I need details!"

Peeta chuckled. "I'm not giving them to you. Just that it's all…external. She has some issues. So some things won't happen ever or at least for a long time."

"That's harsh, dude." Finnick said softly. "So are you guys a thing now? Or moving toward a thing?"

"I doubt it. She wants me to date someone else. But I want to focus on her." He shook his head. "That sounds…"

"Like you're the girl in the relationship?"

"Not cool. Anyway, it's not even a real relationship."

"You're playing with fire, Peeta."

Peeta chuckled. "You know what? Let me burn. I will gladly become ashes at her feet."

Finnick laughed. "Poetic."

"Peeta?" Caleb called softly.

"I'll be right there, buddy." He called back. "I gotta go. Please don't say anything to Annie or anyone."

"Not a word, man. Promise. Tell Caleb hi for me."

"I will." He stepped back into the bedroom. "Hey, bud."

"When's my mama getting home?"

"It's still quite a while." Peeta sat on the side of the bed.

Caleb nodded. "Okay."

"Do you feel sick?"

He shook his head. "I'm thirsty."

"I'll get you some water. How's your head feel?"

"Hurts a little."

"Yeah?" Peeta checked his forehead and cheeks. "You don't feel any warmer than before. I'll get you that water. Then do you want me to read to you or something?"

"That would be nice."

"Then I will. You got some cool looking books in your room."

"Aunt Prim got me those. Mama's not much of a reader."

Peeta ruffled his hair. "I'll be right back with water and a book."

He picked the first Harry Potter book. They sat together on the bed and Caleb leaned into Peeta's side as the man read aloud. He eventually fell asleep. Peeta kissed his forehead and sat with him for a while longer. He combed his fingers through the boy's light locks and checked his phone.

He sent a text to Katniss, " _He's asleep. Seems much better._ "

Her reply took a while. " _Thank you. How's fever?_ "

He reached over and picked up the thermometer. He checked it and sent a message to Katniss. " _99.4_ "

" _That's a little better._ "

" _Yeah._ " He looked at the phone after he sent that message. He decided it was best to be honest. " _Hey, I told Finnick._ "

" _About?_ "

" _Last weekend's developments. Is that okay?_ "

Her reply took a long time. " _Wish you would have talked to me first. Now he's going to tell the world._ "

" _He promised he wouldn't say anything. Not even to Annie._ "

" _Do we know the same Finnick Odair? I highly doubt he's going to keep this kind of information to himself._ "

His phone rang as he was reading the reply. "Hello?"

Katniss didn't bother with a greeting. "What would possess you to think that it was okay?"

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want him to speculate. He asked what I was doing and I told him I was with Caleb. He started making comments I didn't like. I had to dispel rumors."

"I'm not happy with you."

"I know."

"I'm mad. This was supposed to be ours."

He chewed his lip a moment. "It still can be."

"No." She groaned. "This isn't…" She let out a long breath. "We'll talk later. I have archers to coach."

"I'm sorry, Katniss."

"Prove it." She ended the call.

Peeta gently moved Caleb away and left the room. Callie would be there soon and he needed to watch for her.


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's note: Sooner than I expected! So there is just a touch of talk about Cato's abuse in this one. And it is a little heavy toward the end. But I promise good things are coming your way._

 _Thank you all so much for the love you are giving this! Those numbers go up every day and it is all very appreciated._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Five

"I know why you're mad at me, but can we at least talk about how to fix it? Instead of you ignoring me." Peeta put the plates in the sink and watched Katniss put the last piece of chicken in the fridge.

"I don't know, Peeta. Maybe the fault was in not talking about if that was going to be okay or not."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. He's my oldest and closest friend and I didn't feel right keeping it from him. He was joking about it and I wanted him to have the facts."

She sighed and looked into the back yard where the kids sat with Lady. "You're forgiven, but I'm still mad."

He tugged on her belt loops. "Want to punish me?"

She laughed and pushed him away. She started loading the dishwasher.

Peeta leaned in. "You know, if we tell Annie, we can probably get them to organize something with the kids whenever we want some alone time."

Katniss laughed. "Booty call babysitters?"

He laughed and nuzzled her neck. "Yes. What do you think?"

She pushed him away. "I'm still not happy with you doing this."

"I know. Let me make it up to you."

"Tomorrow. Caleb is definitely feeling better. He should be able to go to school."

"Mmm." He ran a hand over her bottom. "I'm pulling out all the stops. I'm going to have you writhing and moaning beneath me. You're going to be pleading for me to end it all. And then you'll come so explosively you won't know what hit you."

She laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't wait."

"So what will you do to me?"

She laughed. She pressed her hips into his. "You'll just have to wait and see." She slanted her mouth across his in a soft kiss that quickly deepened. She quickly stepped away when the back door opened.

"Dad, can we get a goat?" Callie asked.

Katniss went back to the dishes.

Peeta chuckled. "You don't need a goat. I'm sure Katniss will let you come play with theirs."

She sighed dramatically. "Okay."

He looked at his watch. "We should go. I have a few hours of work to do."

Katniss nodded. "You'll be back for more painting tomorrow?"

Peeta grinned. "Yes. Painting. I'm almost done."

"Okay."

Caleb wrapped his arms around Peeta's waist. "Thank you for staying with me, Peeta."

"I was happy to." He combed his fingers through the boy's hair. "I hope you keep feeling better."

"Me too." Caleb looked up and smiled. "I love you, Peeta."

Peeta got down on the boy's level and kissed his forehead. "I love you, too."

"I'm glad you got to come over, Calliope." Katniss said with a smile.

Callie lit up. She really liked when Katniss used her full name. "I'm glad, too." She hesitated a moment and then hugged Katniss.

Katniss hugged her back. "Practice a little with your bow this week, okay?"

"Can you come over and help me a little?"

"I can probably arrange that." She and Peeta locked eyes.

"Good." Callie said. She looked at her dad. "I have some homework to finish."

"And I have a cake to work on. Go load up."

"Okay, Daddy. See you later, Katniss and Caleb." She walked to where her backpack hung by the front door.

Caleb followed.

Katniss stepped close to Peeta. "Be prepared for something big tomorrow."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "Oh, yeah." She kissed him quickly and stepped away. "See you in the morning."

"Bright and early. What if I come by and get Caleb for school?"

"Okay."

"That was quick."

She shrugged. "I can use all the help I can get."

"I'll help you, all right." He rubbed her back. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Katniss pulled Caleb against her chest on the couch once they were gone and kissed his cheek. "You look like you're feeling better."

"I do. Lots better. Peeta took good care of me." He looked up at her. "You kissed him."

She swallowed and nodded. "I did."

"But he's not your boyfriend?"

She shook her head. "No, he's not."

He scrunched up his face. "So why did you kiss him? You never kiss Uncle Gale."

She smoothed her hand over his hair. "I really like how much he cares for you. And I wanted to show him my appreciation."

"But Uncle Gale cares for me too."

"He does."

Caleb shook his head. "I'll never understand grown-ups."

Katniss laughed and hugged him close once more. "I'm a grown-up and I don't understand grown-ups."

They watched TV for a while before it was time to get ready for bed. Having slept most of the day, Caleb was reluctant to get to sleep at his bedtime, even though he was still a little tired from being sick. Katniss just sat with him until he finally fell asleep. And then she went right to bed herself.

* * *

Peeta dropped the kids off, with a big hug and a loud, "Thanks you!" from Caleb. He hurried back to Katniss's house to see her duck back inside. He got out of his car and saw something was on the door. He walked up to the landing and saw his name in big, blocky letters written on an envelope.

He opened it and found a key and a small square of plastic. He took out the square and nearly fell off the landing when he realized what it was. On the inside of the envelope, she'd written, "Come inside."

He slipped the key into the lock and stepped inside. "Katniss?"

Katniss's voice came from the back of the house. "My bedroom. Lock the door back."

He did as she requested and dropped his keys, including the new one, on the table beside the door. He kicked off his shoes. He walked into the bedroom and leaned against the doorframe. He held up the condom. "Are you sure about this?"

She looked up from where she lounged on the bed. "I'm sure I want to try."

He walked in and sat beside her on the bed. He looked between the item in his hand and her. "This is a giant step. And I don't want to cause you any undue trauma. So if you want this, I'm good with taking our time. But if you're not entirely sure, we can do all that we've done before."

She took the condom from his hand and placed it on the bedside table. "You are too perfect." She pulled him on top of her and brought his mouth to hers. She rolled him beneath her and slipped her hands under his shirt. She ground her hips down into his growing erection and swallowed his moan.

She sat up and pulled him with her to remove both their shirts. They crashed back together in a tangle of arms and legs. They rolled back and forth as they removed the rest of their clothes. She ended up on top and kissed her way down his neck to explore his chest with her hands and lips.

"Katniss?" He asked softly.

She looked up. "What?"

"Do you—do you mind if I put my hand on the back of your head?"

"I don't mind." She smiled and went back to her exploration.

Peeta combed his fingers through her hair and stroked her shoulders and back.

She pushed one hand away. "Too much."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." She moved lower. She kissed his stomach and smoothed her hands over it. He jumped a little when her fingers glided over his side. She chuckled and made her way down to his hip. She paused and looked up at him, resting her chin on his thigh. She smiled and stroked his length. "What would you like?"

"Just keep doing that." He let out a soft moan and his eyes drifted closed. His grip tightened on her hair.

"Let go, please."

It took him a moment to process her request. He loosened his grip and moved his hand down to her back. "I could do you at the same time, you know?" His voice hitched a little at the end and he let out another moan.

"But then I wouldn't get to watch you." She pushed herself up a little and quickened her pace.

He thrust up into her hand and his moaning grew louder. She leaned over and kissed him through his orgasm, catching the exclamations in her mouth as he cried out over and over. He collapsed on the bed, his eyes still completely unfocused. He jumped when he felt a cloth touch his stomach.

"I decided to be a little more prepared this time." She smiled. She finished cleaning him off and then stretched out beside him to watch him a while.

He gently touched her face. "Sorry about being so handsy."

She shrugged. "You fixed it. No harm done."

"I can't imagine someone being so rough. Especially with you."

"Well, he was."

"I promise to always be gently with you." He rolled to his side and slipped his hand between her legs. "What would you like?"

She smiled and draped her leg over his. "I think I'd like it like this." She cupped his face and kissed him softly. She moved her hand over his back. She bit her lip and rested her head against his. "That feels good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She kissed him again and pressed into his hand.

He loved the way her face changed. Her breath grew ragged. She ground her hips down into his hand. He moved faster.

As she got close to her orgasm, he whispered, "I love you, Katniss."

"You can't." She panted.

"But I do." He kissed her face.

"No." She moaned. She pressed a clumsy kiss to his mouth as she came and then rolled away. She covered her face with her hands. It took Peeta a few breaths to realize Katniss was crying.

"Hey." He pulled her hands away. "Talk to me."

She shook her head and rolled to her opposite side.

He moved behind her and rested his hand on her hip. "I shouldn't have put that on you, I'm sorry."

A sob escaped her. "You can't love me."

"Why not?"

"Because you just can't." She cried.

"Can I hold you?" He asked softly.

"I don't know if I want that or not." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. She rolled to her back. "Are you sure?"

"I think I am."

She shook her head. "You can't." She said again.

He moved hair out of her face. "Should we back off?"

She swallowed. "I think so."

He nodded. He kissed her cheek and rolled out of the bed. "I'll go work on the painting." He dressed in silence and left the room.

In Caleb's room he stared at the wall for several seconds without focusing. He really didn't have much left. He probably had two more days of work. He turned back to Katniss's room. "Why did you give me a key?"

She turned and watched him. "Because I want you to feel at home here."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend."

He clenched his teeth and looked away. "It's so not fair, Katniss. Do you know that? You don't make sense."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."

"I do. But I won't force you. I'm not Cato. I'll never do anything to hurt you. I'll never intentionally upset you. And when I told you I love you, I didn't do it to hurt you or manipulate you. I did it because I wanted you to know how I feel. We can keep going as we are. I don't mind it. But we need to be honest with each other. And I need to be honest with myself."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"I still need some space. But I get what you're saying. And now that you have a key, if you want to come back when I'm gone to finish up the wall, you can."

"I think I just might." He turned and went back to the living room to get his shoes. He paused at the door and listened. She was crying again. But she had made it clear she wanted to be left alone for the time being.


	26. Chapter 26

_Author's note: Let me tell you all how important reviews are. A lot of people have made comments that brought it to mind that I have left out some things that I am now going to start addressing. So thanks for making those comments. Let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Six

Katniss's phone rang as she was unlocking the door to the range. She decided she needed some extra practice time herself. And she needed to get out some of her frustration from a day without Peeta. She was leery seeing his name on her screen. She hadn't been very nice to him, she knew. But she was so scared. Did he know just how scared she was?

"Hello?" She said tentatively.

His voice was steady, but she could hear disappointment in it. "Hi. I thought I'd come over early and hang out. But you're not here."

"No, I needed to get out."

"Oh." He said softly.

"I'm at the range if you need to talk about something." _Please say no_.

"No. It's fine. I'll just get to work. I'm almost done."

"Oh." She swallowed and looked down at her feet. "Um, how much longer do you have?"

"I'll probably be here until late. If that's okay. I have stuff I know I need to finish and then I want to go over every inch and make sure it's all okay. But I think today's it."

"Sure. Is Callie riding the bus over?"

"I may have her. If you don't mind."

"I don't. Would you like to spend time with Caleb?"

She could almost hear his smile. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Then I'll call the school and send him there."

"Cal really wants you to spend some special shooting time with her. I think mostly she wants to spend time with you."

"Can she and I maybe spend a couple hours together Saturday. We'll just shoot and hang out and have girl time."

"She'll love it."

"Good." Katniss leaned against the wall. "I want you guys to come to dinner tonight at Hazelle's. She's Gale's mom, so he'll be there. And he's got two brothers that are pretty cool. And you know Posey. I don't know who else will be there. But we were invited and I'd like to introduce you two to them."

Peeta's steady breathing came through the phone. He answered after several of them. "Yeah, okay. I'll have to go home and change out of paint clothes before."

"That's fine. You can bring Caleb over there with you if I'm not back and I'll pick you all up. Is that okay?"

"Fine."

There was another pause. This one was a little awkward.

Katniss sighed. "Look, about yesterday—"

"Don't worry about it."

"But I do. I want you to know that what you said was a shock. A major one. I trust you with a lot. You have to understand that. I wouldn't leave my son with just anyone. And to give you a key was a big step. To me, letting you into those parts of my life are definitely bigger than the sex." She stopped. She took several calming breaths. She went on, "I like you a lot, Peeta, but I don't know how far I'm willing to go just yet."

"We'll just start over. How about that?"

"Okay. We'll start over. Just hang out with the kids and in groups."

"Yes."

"I'll call the school."

"So will I. See you this evening."

She made the arrangements for Caleb to ride the bus home and took her bow out of its case. She set up the target against the back wall and stepped back farther than the kids she coached would stand. She fired off arrows rapidly, hitting the center every time. She lost track of how many until she reached for another one and there were no more.

She put the bow down and took a long drink from her water bottle. She gathered her arrows and went again. She was on her third round when Gale came in.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." She wiped her brow and shot one more arrow. She packed up her bow and gathered her arrows to put away as well. "How are you?"

He shrugged. Then she noticed his grin.

"Didn't Prim have an appointment today?"

"She did." He pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Look at my little nugget!" He stood beside her and scrolled through some ultrasound pictures. "Still a little too soon to tell the gender. The tech said she could make an educated guess, but the baby wouldn't give us a good view." He put his phone away. "So how's Caleb?"

"He's still trucking along." They walked out to set up the targets. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Anything."

She crossed her arms. "Do you think I should start dating?"

He chuckled. "I thought you and Peeta were."

She looked up sharply. "What would give you that idea?"

"You. And Caleb. It seems like every other day you're hanging out with them. And every time Caleb talks about him, it just seems like he's talking about people that are dating."

"Well, we're not dating. But I think he has feelings for me. And I don't know what to do about it."

Gale stuck his hands in his pockets and thought a moment. He said, "Let me buy you a drink." He walked toward the cooler and took out two bottles of water. He handed one to her as he sat down on the bench at the back.

She sat beside him. "Are you going to tell me again how I need to get some help?"

"I don't know why you haven't." He took a sip of his water. "Mom put us in counseling right after Dad died. It's been a fact of life."

"Well, my mom was pretty busy avoiding her responsibility as a parent to also avoid her grief." She picked at the label on her bottle. "I know it would probably help, but I don't like talking about everything."

"You've told Prim and me. And with the way Peeta acts around you, I guess you've told him a bit."

"I've told him a lot, actually."

Gale nodded. "I like that you let him in."

Katniss's mouth slowly stretched into a smile. "I do too."

"So?" He bumped his elbow against her arm. "What's going to happen with him?"

She returned his bump. "I don't know. He's coming to dinner at your mom's tonight."

"As your boyfriend?"

"As my friend." She brought the water bottle to her lips and mumbled, "with benefits."

Gale spit his water out. "What did you just say?"

Katniss grinned. "I didn't say anything."

The door opened and she hurried over to greet the young man coming in. That set off the rest of the day and they had no chance to talk again until they cleaned up for the day. By then, Katniss was ready to head home for a quick change and to pick up Caleb and the Mellarks.

Callie and Caleb were intently playing a video game when Peeta opened the door for Katniss. He smiled and ushered her inside. He sat down to put on his shoes and called for the kids to as well.

"In a minute, Dad." Callie said. "I'm about to be killed."

"Yeah, you are so dead." Caleb said as he aggressively pushed the buttons on the controller.

Katniss chuckled and smoothed a hand down Peeta's arm. "How was he this afternoon?"

Peeta liked up and caught her hand. "He did really well. He was excited to be home." He stood. "If you ever want, he can come to the bakery for an afternoon to give him a little change of scenery."

She nodded. She pulled him into the other room. "I kinda said something to Gale. About our arrangement. But not completely. I wanted my best friend to know too."

Peeta nodded. He leaned against the counter and pulled her closer. "Look, I know that I sprung something big on you yesterday. I didn't mean to, but you were just so beautiful. And I couldn't keep it to myself anymore."

Katniss nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I appreciate all you've done. And I want you to know that I'm going to work on it. I'm going to figure _me_ out. And then we can figure _us_ out."

"We're still just friends?"

"Yes. For now." She looked up. "Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly fine. But can I have a kiss?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes."

He slanted his lips over hers in a soft kiss.

The kids both giggled from the living room and Katniss quickly stepped away. She pushed some hair out of her face and smiled. She asked Caleb, "Ready to go hang out with Posey?"

"Yes!" The boy exclaimed. "Cal, you'll like hanging out with Posey. She's a cool girl like you."

"Okay, thanks." Callie said with an odd look on her face.

"What Caleb is trying to say, Calliope, is that Posey isn't a girly-girl. He didn't mean to sound insulting, but he's starting to think girls are icky."

"We're looking forward to it. Posey was a pretty cool kid when she was in the bakery." Peeta chuckled. "And Caleb's right. Girls _are_ icky. With all your hair and your perfume and _cooties_."

"Mama's got cooties!" Caleb exclaimed. "And you just kissed her, Peeta. You got the cooties, too."

"Oh, no! Get 'em off me!" He picked up Caleb and kissed his cheek several times. "Now you have the cooties." He sat the boy down and ran across the room.

"Ew! No! Take them back!" He ran around the room after Peeta. They both laughed happily.

It warmed Katniss's heart to see them playing together like that. Callie soon joined in and pulled Katniss along. They eventually collapsed together on the couch in a heap of laughter.

Katniss said, "We need to get going. I'm sure everyone is wondering where we are." She stood and pulled her keys from her pocket. "Load up, guys."

The kids ran ahead. Peeta turned out the lights and locked the door. He slipped his hand into Katniss's as they walked toward her car.

Hazelle was very happy to meet Peeta and Callie. She loved bringing extra people in. She'd unofficially adopted many of her children's friends over the years. Prim even lived with them the last three years of her high school career.

"Cal, come talk to Posey. The grown-ups are boring." Caleb dragged her away to the other room.

Peeta, who never met a stranger, asked if he could help Hazelle in the kitchen.

"No, I'm fine here." She said. "It's almost done anyway. Katniss, introduce him to Rory and Vick. But send Gale in here to carry these chickens into the dining room."

"Yes, ma'am." She took Peeta's hand and led him into the den where everyone lounged.

Prim was curled on Gale's lap. Rory had some girl clinging to his side. Vick had a pair of friends on either side. The three wrestled a little, laughing about some inside joke. Katniss relayed Hazelle's request to Gale.

He heaved a dramatic sigh and unfolded himself from the chair. He kissed Prim's cheek and then sat her gently back on the chair.

"Everyone, this is Peeta." Katniss said. She pointed out all the people she knew and introduced them and let the boys introduce the people they had with them.

Peeta dropped into a chair between Prim and Posey.

"You're the guy that owns the bakery Posey worked at this summer, right?" Rory asked.

"Yep, that's me." Peeta watched as Katniss took a seat on the floor in front of her sister.

"They loved the cheese buns." Posey said.

"Everybody loves those things." Peeta said with a grin and a wink to Katniss. "Best-seller. I should have brought some more tonight."

"Don't worry, I went and picked some up." Prim reached forward and started massaging her sister's shoulders. "Gale told me to."

"When? It was a crazy afternoon." Katniss asked, rolling her shoulders into her sister's hands.

"A text. You know what those are."

Katniss chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I do know." She patted her sister's leg.

Prim kissed the top of her head. "Why are you so tense?"

"A lot going on." Katniss said vaguely. She looked over at Peeta and saw he was deep in discussion with Rory about the baking business. She turned and looked up at her sister. She asked softly, "Did you talk to anyone after Dad died?"

Prim shook her head. "I had to go to the school counselor right after, but only once."

"I think I may need to talk to someone."

Her sister nodded. "I think you might too. And maybe Caleb. At least an evaluation for him. He seems well-adjusted, but it could be just under the surface."

Katniss watched as Caleb climbed up on Peeta's lap like it was a normal occurrence. Peeta just wrapped his arms around the boy and continued with his conversation. "I think he'll be just fine. But you're right, he should be evaluated."

"Supper!" Hazelle called.

"You better get in there quick, Peeta." Prim said. She stood and yelled, "You better let the pregnant lady get food or my husband will kick your ass."

"I already made you a plate, babe." Gale said as they walked into the dining room.

"Aw, I knew there was a good reason I married you." Prim took the plate and sat down.

Vick and his friends filled their plates, even as Hazelle scolded them.

"We have other people to feed. Slow it down a little, boys." She said.

Peeta chuckled and sat back as everyone passed the bowls and platters around. He ended up with more than enough. Hazelle kept spooning potatoes onto his plate.

"Thanks, Mrs. Hawthorne."

"Please, call me Hazelle. Posey has told me so much about you and Caleb wouldn't stop talking about you when he was in my office the other day."

Peeta smiled. "All good things, I hope."

"Oh, yes." Hazelle leaned in. "Give Katniss a little more time."

"I…"

The older woman smiled. "I know that look she has. She'll come around if you let her."

Peeta looked over just in time to see Katniss look away. She smiled and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. There was a little color in her cheeks. She shook her head at something Posey asked her.

Katniss called across the table, "Peeta, have you taken a picture of Caleb's wall lately?"

"Yeah, I took one today." Peeta pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened the gallery. He passed it across to her and she leaned close to Posey to show off his work.

"Isn't he amazing?" He heard Katniss say. The way she said the last word sent a jolt to his groin and he had to focus on Hazelle.

The phone was passed around until it returned to Peeta's hands. They all agreed he was talented.

Prim said, "I might have to get you to paint something for the baby's room."

Peeta smiled. "Gladly. Just tell me a theme."

"We can talk later." Prim said.

The meal finally wound down. Peeta insisted on helping with cleanup. Gale was put to the task, too. Gale told his mother to relax. The two men were alone.

Gale leaned close to Peeta and said, "You force her into _anything_ and I swear to God I will tie you up and shoot arrows right at you. And I won't promise to miss."

Peeta put up his hands. "Whoa, man. Chill. Katniss and I know our limits. And I know how to listen. She says stop and I stop."

Gale pointed a knife at him. "You damn well better." He stabbed the knife into the dishwasher.

"Anyway, it's a non-issue at the moment. So no worries."

Katniss came into the kitchen. "I need to get Caleb home. How much more? How can I help?"

"I can finish this." Gale said.

"You sure?"

He nodded. "Go on. I'll have to be the one leaving early before long."

"Thank you." Katniss clapped him on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

Peeta slipped his arm around Katniss's waist as they walked out of the kitchen together. Caleb had dozed off against Hazelle's side. Peeta leaned over and lifted the boy up into his arms.

"He has legs." Katniss said.

"I know." Peeta smiled. "Thank you for supper, Hazelle. And thanks for the conversation, everyone." He looked at Posey. "If you decide you can work in a few hours a week, I could use some help on the weekends."

Posey smiled. "Thank you, Peeta. I'll consider it."

He nodded and headed for the door.

Katniss slung her arm over Callie's shoulders. "I really like spending time with you, Calliope."

"I like it, too, Katniss."

"Want to shoot for a bit Saturday? Just us?"

"I sure would!" She said. "Can I, Dad?"

Peeta sat Caleb in his seat. "Sure can. And I think Caleb and I will hang out if it's okay with Katniss."

Katniss nodded. "Yeah, I like that idea."

"Thanks, Daddy." Callie got into the car and buckled her seatbelt.

Peeta handed his keys to Callie when Katniss stopped the car in front of their house. "Go unlock the door, sweetie. I need a minute to talk to Katniss."

She got out and so did he. Katniss followed. He walked around to the back of the car and leaned on the trunk.

She stood in front of him. She rested her hands on his waist. "I'm going to get some professional help. And I need you to bear with me while I do."

"I'll stand by you. I'll help you. Anything you need me to do, I will."

She leaned in and brushed a kiss over his lips. "Do you know how much I appreciate the way you treat him?"

"I'm beginning to get a good idea."

"It's been hard for me to trust."

"I know."

"And I trust you. You have to know how big that is."

"It's huge." He slid his hands up her arms. "And I will do everything I can to keep that trust."

"Good." She kissed him again. "Are you coming over tomorrow?"

"I think I'm done with the wall."

"Can we have lunch tomorrow, then? We'll talk about the kids and Saturday."

"Okay. I'll be there around noon. And I'll bring you something." He pulled her hands away from his waist and kissed them one at a time. "Until tomorrow, Katniss."

"Goodnight, Peeta." She got in her car and headed home.

Caleb spoke from the back seat, making her jump. "Mama, do you love Peeta?"

She looked in the rearview mirror and smiled. "I don't know. But I love you."

"I love you, too, Mama. And I love Peeta."

"I know you do. And he loves you."

"Is that okay?"

"It is." She thought, _Very okay._


	27. Chapter 27

_Author's note: Oh! Hey! Another chapter already?! You bet! Let me know what you think!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Katniss parked in the driveway to Peeta's house. Peeta stepped out the back door of the bakery and waved them over.

"I wasn't sure where you would be." Katniss met him on the steps and brushed a kiss over his lips.

Peeta smiled and squeezed her hands. "Cal is at the house."

"I'll go get her." Caleb volunteered. He ran to the house and let himself in.

"So what do you have planned for today?" Katniss asked, taking his hand and leading him down the steps.

Peeta threaded his fingers through hers and walked with her. "I thought I'd ask him what he was in the mood for. May play some video games or play catch or go to the park and see who's better at the monkey bars."

"He loves the monkey bars." She smiled. "I hope you aren't getting behind at work?"

"I got up early and finished decorating a cake this morning so I could have this time." He kissed the back of her hand. "What about you and Cal?"

"Some target practice. Maybe some girl talk." She looked toward the house where the kids were now exiting. "Caleb has been asking some questions about you and me. So if he asks you, feel free to tell him whatever you feel comfortable with. He deserves to know."

"I think Cal's been taking it in stride. But I think she likes seeing how you are with me. She's told me a lot over the years how much she wants a mom. So you should probably work that into your girl talk."

"Katniss!" Callie wrapped her arms around Katniss's waist.

Katniss laughed and hugged her back. "Calliope!"

Callie looked up. "I have my bow and arrows all ready."

"And I have mine too. I'll let you try it out today. Just promise to be careful."

"Promise."

Peeta asked, "Want to meet back here for lunch? Maybe Caleb and I will put something together."

"Like what?" Caleb asked.

"You ever make pizza?"

The boy shook his head. "People make them at home?"

"Sure do. And if you want to, we'll make one for your mom and Callie."

"That sounds like fun."

"Load up, Callie." Katniss said. She leaned down and told Caleb, "You have fun. I love you."

"Love you, Mom!" He threw his arms around her neck.

She kissed his cheek. She straightened up as Callie finished saying goodbye to Peeta. Katniss cupped his cheeks and brushed another kiss over his lips. "We'll see you in a couple hours."

"Bye." He rubbed her upper arms before she stepped away. "Come on, Caleb. Let's go to the park."

"I love the park!" Caleb exclaimed. He latched onto the baker's hand.

Katniss and Callie loaded the bow and arrow into Katniss's car and headed to the range.

Callie asked after a while, "Katniss, are you my dad's girlfriend?"

"Not yet." Katniss answered. "But I think he wants me to be."

"You don't want to be?"

Katniss took several seconds to answer. She pulled the car off into a parking lot and put it in park. She turned to Callie. "When I was just a little older than you, I met a boy. And that boy convinced me to do some things that weren't very good. And he was mean to me, but he made me believe no one would ever be nice to me. So I married him and he was still mean to me. And I had Caleb and he was still mean to me. I finally got away and was safe. And I have been for a long time. But because of him being mean to me, I have a hard time letting other people be nice to me. So I like your dad. And I like the idea of being with you guys as a family, but it scares me."

"My dad's not mean."

"I know."

Callie looked out the window. She looked back at Katniss. "So maybe you should stop kissing him so much."

"Maybe I should."

"You won't though, will you?"

Katniss shook her head. "Maybe I'll be his girlfriend soon."

"I hope so."

Katniss started the car again and they were off. "So last night you were pretty good."

"Yeah, I'm getting better. Do you think I'll ever be as good as you?"

"I bet you will. We'll keep practicing."

"Yes." Callie looked over. "Did you ever date Gale?"

Katniss chuckled. "No. Gale's always been my friend."

Callie asked softly, "Can I tell you something?"

"I hope you feel comfortable enough to tell me anything. And I promise whatever you say stays between us, unless I fear it's something dangerous. Okay?"

"Okay." She took a moment and then said, "I think I like Finn."

"Like you want to be his girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Am I old enough to like boys?"

Katniss chuckled. "I think so."

"Should I say something to Finn?"

"Do you think it will do anything?"

She shrugged. "I don't want to lose my friend or make it weird."

Katniss nodded. "So maybe don't say anything yet. Just be friends. It's okay to just be friends with a boy. Even if you like him a little."

"As long as I don't kiss him."

Katniss chuckled. "Am I ever going to get away from that?"

Callie shook her head.

"Fair enough." Katniss stopped in front of the range. "Okay, we're just doing this for fun. So don't be hard on yourself if you miss any shots."

"Same for you." Callie got out and walked to the back of the car to wait for Katniss to open the trunk.

They each got their bows and arrows and walked inside the range. They started out with warmups. Katniss eventually started showing off a little. She made shots from the side and crouching and standing. Callie filmed it all on Katniss's phone.

Then Katniss took the phone and filmed Callie. She made a few close to the center, but they mostly still hit outside the target.

"Okay, how about one more and then we'll break it all down and go get some ice cream or something?"

"Okay." Callie took her stance and aimed.

Katniss filmed as the girl took her shot and made her first ever bullseye.

Callie looked over. "Did I just do that?"

"You did." Katniss said. "And I got it all on camera. Wave."

"Hi! I just made my first bullseye!"

Katniss laughed and turned off the camera. She gathered Callie into her arms. "I'm so proud of you. Want to try again?"

Callie shook her head. "Better not risk it."

Katniss laughed again and kissed the top of her head. "You're such a smart kid."

"Thanks." Callie laughed. "Can we get ice cream now?"

"Sure. But not too much because your dad's making pizza for lunch."

* * *

"Peeta, you're the best." Caleb said as he poured the ingredients into the bowl that Peeta measured.

Peeta chuckled. "Well, thank you. You're pretty cool yourself."

Caleb giggled. "So when are you marrying my mom?"

Peeta smiled and said, "Whenever she falls in love with me."

"But she's in love with you now. I know she is."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, I asked her yesterday and she said she didn't know. But I know because I just do. She loves you. So you should marry her right away."

Peeta chuckled. "I don't think it's going to happen. But I'm glad you are okay with it."

"Totally okay with it." He leaned over the bowl as Peeta started the mixer. "So what happens with the dough now?"

"We're going to let it set up and then we'll flatten the dough into circles and then cover them in toppings and bake them. And then Mom and Cal should be home just in time to eat."

"I like Cal."  
"I'm glad."

"And I like you."

Peeta ruffled his hair. "I like you, too, kiddo."

"Can we go throw that Frisbee?"

"Yep. Let's go." Peeta rolled the dough out on the counter and covered it. He picked the Frisbee off the counter and motioned Caleb outside in front of him.

Caleb wasn't very good at catching it, but he was really good at throwing it. Peeta had to jump up to catch the Frisbee.

"How are you with the bow?" Peeta asked as he gently spun the disc in Caleb's direction.

The boy just barely missed it and had to run after it. He picked it up and came back. "I'm good. Mama says I'm improving." He threw the Frisbee for all he was worth.

"Well, you're good at this at least." Peeta chuckled as he ran after the Frisbee.

"Could we do this every day?"

"Maybe not every day, but we can hang out more often. Your mom wants us to."

"So I can have a good male influence." Caleb said. He must have heard it a lot.

Peeta chuckled. "Yeah." He tossed the Frisbee and watched Caleb run after it. Then he ran after Caleb. He lifted the boy up and grabbed his knees, turning him upside down.

Caleb laughed and dropped his arms. "The blood is rushing to my eyeballs!"

Peeta laughed and shook him a little. "I hope it doesn't come out. That would be gross!"

"All over your yard."

"And I'd have to wash it all away. Ew!"

"I'll make you eat it."

Peeta swung him up and caught his shoulders. "I'm not a vampire."

"I'll put it on the pizza for sauce." Caleb said with a mischievous grin.

Peeta laughed and kissed his cheek. "Let's go in and make the pizza. With tomato sauce." He sat the boy on his feet.

Caleb laughed. "Okay, I guess that would taste better."

"You guess?" He pulled the boy against his side. "I guess so too."

They were just pulling the first pizza out of the oven and putting the second in when Katniss and Callie came into the house laughing about something from outside.

Callie hugged her father and then went to put her bow away. Caleb followed, asking her about her day.

Katniss wrapped her arms around Peeta and rested her head on his shoulder. "Ask Callie about how she did."

"I will." He kissed the top of her head. "Caleb and I had a good time."

"I'm glad." She stepped back. "He follows her around like she's his big sister and he wants to know her business."

"Good to see them comfortable with each other like that." Peeta smiled and smoothed a hand over Katniss's hair. "Can I have a kiss?"

"You can."

He leaned in and kissed her softly. He rested his forehead against hers and rubbed her back.

"Daddy, I got a bullseye today!" Callie said as she hurried back into the room.

"You did? Why didn't you say anything before?" He hurried over and lifted her up in a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, sweetie!"

"Katniss recorded it. And I recorded her doing some really cool trick shots." She took Katniss's offered phone and pulled up the video. "Look at me." She showed him the video.

"Look at you go!" Peeta hugged her around the shoulders. He watched it again and kissed his daughter's temple. "I really am so proud of you."

"Thank you." She took the phone back. "Look at Katniss shoot from her knees!" She showed him another video.

"Wow, Katniss, you're incredible."

The last word sounded like something he'd normally say when they were alone. He noticed Katniss take in a sharp breath. She covered it up by looking over at the pizza that was just removed from the oven.

"This looks delicious. I can't wait to eat it." She said.

"Me too." Peeta said, giving her a wink.

Katniss shook her head slightly. "Is there anything else we need to do?"

"Nope, I think we have it covered." Peeta pulled the other pizza out of the oven. "You kids need to wash up."

"Sure, Dad." Callie pulled Caleb out of the room.

"You're so mean." Katniss said as she slipped a hand over Peeta's bottom.

He chuckled. "I'm not the only one. The other day you called me 'amazing' in a way that had me almost need leave the table to cool off."

She smiled. "I didn't mean to."

"I didn't necessarily mean to either. But that eating comment was intentional."

"Maybe some other time." She kissed his lips and then stepped back.

"I can make arrangements."

"Not tonight."

He leaned close. "What are your thoughts on sexting?"

She chuckled. "I don't know. Send me one later and we'll see."

He kissed her again and then started fixing up plates for everyone.


	28. Chapter 28

_Author's note: If anyone out there has ever experienced seeing a psychologist and wishes to share your experiences to help me out with how Katniss reacts to those around her, I would be forever grateful. You can message me anonymously on Tumblr (booksrockmyface)._

 _Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Katniss was settling into bed when her phone went off.

" _What are you doing?_ " Peeta asked.

She smiled. " _Getting ready for bed. What are you doing?_ "

His response was quick. " _Lying in bed and thinking of you._ "

" _Yeah? What are you thinking about?_ "

" _What it feels like with your hands all over my body._ "

She smiled. " _You feel really good under my hands._ " She blushed a little. _I can't believe I just wrote that._

" _And you feel good under mine._ "

" _I can't do this over text._ "

" _You want me to call?_ "

" _I want to be in the same room with you._ "

" _We can be on Monday._ "

She thought about it a moment. " _I have an appointment on Monday. With a therapist._ "

" _When? I can meet you after._ "

" _Nine._ " She hit send. Then she typed, " _I don't know how I'll feel after. Gale already agreed to take my students._ "

" _Let me know. I want to be there for you._ "

" _Want to be there for me now?_ "

His reply took a while. " _How?_ "

" _Send me a picture?_ "

" _What kind of picture?_ "

She giggled. " _Use your discretion._ "

A minute later she was blessed with a selfie. Peeta was laying in his bed, no shirt, blonde hair a mess on his pillow. She saw the band of his underwear. It was immediately followed by a picture of his underwear with a noticeable bulge. He sent the message, " _Wanna reciprocate, Girl on Fire?_ "

" _Girl on Fire?_ "

" _Finnick said I was playing with fire and I realized you're made of fire, so it's not a stretch._ "

" _Aw, that's sweet._ "

" _Do you like those pics?_ "

" _They're nice. Wish I could be there to help relieve that second one._ " She held up her phone and took a picture of herself. She was in an old shirt and her hair was in a braid. She sent it and then walked to her bedroom door and shut it. She removed the shirt and took down her hair and then took another picture. " _That work?_ "

" _Oh, yeah._ "

Katniss locked her bedroom door and stretched out on her bed to look at the pictures of Peeta. She stared at the first. He had a grin on his face that was a mixture of sweet and ravenous. She remembered that mouth on her body. She ran her hand down her stomach and slid it into her panties. Peeta hadn't sent another message in a while. She supposed he was taking advantage of having that picture. She was just about to slip her fingers into her warm folds when she got a new message from Peeta.

This was a voice recording. "You're so beautiful, Katniss." He breathed heavily into the phone. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" He moaned and breathed heavily. "So much. And your hands are warm." He gasped and moaned again. "I can't wait to be with you again." His breathing grew ragged and he moaned. He whispered her name over and over.

Was he really doing this? She let her hand finish its journey and listened as his breathing became a pant and his moans were harder to keep low. He gasped her name one more time and she heard the last gasp and sigh as he came. "Maybe tomorrow we can revisit this." He breathed into the phone some more. "Call me when you're done, Girl on Fire. I'll be waiting."

The message ended just as she did. Her back arched and she dropped the phone off the bed. She fell back down with a heavy pant. She found her phone and called Peeta. "I hate you."

He chuckled. "I know."

"So if I'm the Girl on Fire, what are you?" She curled onto her side.

"I don't know. What do you think I am?"

"Hmm. You're a painter and a baker."

"I am." His voice was soft and steady, just like his personality.

"Your favorite color is orange, right?"

He chuckled. "You remembered. But not bright orange."

"Soft, like the sunset."

"Yes. And your favorite color is green. I see you in the forest surrounded by leaves. Or in a field of soft grass."

She smiled. "A field of grass would be nice."

"How about a picnic tomorrow? Cal and I could bring the food. You and Caleb bring the drinks."

"We can meet at the camp. There's a really pretty field out there."

"Sounds good." He paused. "Katniss, I… I love you."

Her heart beat fast in her chest. "Please don't say that to me."

"Okay, I won't say it. Can I still feel it?"

"I'm not going to tell you what to feel, Peeta. But I don't feel worthy of your words right now."

"I'll do everything I can to let you feel worthy one day."

"You sure can try."

"We'll meet you tomorrow, right? About eleven? I do need to be at the bakery tomorrow."

"That's fine." She yawned. "I'm going to save that recording."

"If you feel comfortable, you could send me one of you."

She laughed. "I'll have to think about that."

"I'm definitely saving the picture."

"I'm saving yours too." She yawned again. "I need to get to sleep."

"Then sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. I lo—" He cut himself off. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Katniss hung up. She rolled out of bed and found her shirt. She took a moment to check on Caleb. Then she went to bed, thinking about Peeta breathing heavily.

* * *

"Are we really having a picnic with Peeta and Cal?" Caleb asked as they walked up to the grocery store.

Katniss chuckled. "Of course we are. And why did you decide to start calling her Cal?"

The boy shrugged. "It's what Peeta calls her."

"You like Peeta a lot, don't you?"

He nodded. "I want him to be my dad."

"Well, he's as close as he can be right now."

Caleb looked up at her. "Did you really go to the court and make Cato not my dad anymore?"

Katniss smoothed her hand over his hair. "I did."

"So can Peeta just adopt me? Uncle Gale says that's how it works."

"That's not entirely how it works, baby. Peeta would have to be married to me."

"So marry him so he can adopt me."

"It's far more complicated than that, Caleb." She loaded their cart with paper plates, plastic forks, napkins, and cups. Then she turned the cart toward the drinks aisle. She picked up two bottles and then headed to the cash register.

"Mama?" Caleb asked.

"What is it, baby?" She unloaded their purchases onto the conveyor belt.

"Why don't you love him?"

"I never said I don't love him." She said. "I just need some time to figure stuff out. Okay?"

"Okay." He said. He stepped to the end of the lane and waited quietly. He picked up the lightest bags.

Peeta and Callie were waiting when they pulled up. He held up a container as they walked over. "Cal and I spent the morning making a great assortment of sandwiches. And I also made some apple hand pies."

"We got sodas and plates and cups." Katniss and Caleb showed off their bags.

"Good. Lead the way."

"Don't you want a kiss first?" Katniss asked.

Peeta smiled. "I would _love_ one."

She slanted her lips across his. "Now we can go find the perfect picnic spot."

"I know the place." Caleb ran ahead and looked back over his shoulder.

"I think I remember." Callie said. "I'll race you, Caleb." She took off.

The boy giggled and ran off after her.

Katniss slipped her hand into Peeta's. "Thank you for being so patient with me."

"It's no problem. Really." He kissed her hand. "I keep thinking about last night."

"Me too." She blushed. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I spoke with a counselor a couple times after my dad died and he gave me some tools, but they aren't enough. And… It's going to open up a lot of wounds I closed off. So I don't want you to expect too much from me tomorrow."

They stopped in a large field still untouched by the creeping fall. Some trees had yellowing leaves, but the grass was still green and the sun shone bright and warm. The kids chased each other.

"I love you, Katniss." Peeta said softly.

"I know you do, Peeta." Katniss dropped her things and joined in on the playing.

Katniss dropped out of the game of tag sooner than the kids. She helped Peeta set up the food and then sat with him to watch their kids play. She leaned against his chest and played with his fingers. She turned her head and he caught her lips in a soft kiss.

"That was okay, wasn't it?" He asked softly.

"It was fine."

He wrapped his arms around her.

She rubbed his arms. "Caleb asked if you could adopt him."

"Maybe someday in the future." Peeta kissed her cheek.

"Maybe. We'll just have to see where this goes."

"If you need a break in any way or if you need me to slow down, you let me know."

"Don't worry. I will." She moved out of his arms and looked at her watch. "We should eat since you have to get back to the bakery. If it's cool with you, Callie can come home with us. I'll make you supper."

"It's fine by me." He called, "Kids, come eat."

They gathered around and ate.

Peeta took a bite of his sandwich and said, "Hey, Caleb, you like sea food?"

"Sea food?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, see?" He opened his mouth and showed his partially chewed food.

"Gross." Katniss shoved Peeta's shoulder.

"Hey, Cal!" Caleb called and opened his mouth full of food to show Callie.

Callie giggled and did it right back.

Katniss shook her head. "Peeta, you're a horrible influence."

"Well, that's what you're here for, Girl on Fire." He said with a mischievous grin.

"Boy with the Bread." She shot back.

"Hey, I like that." He gave her a genuine smile and slipped his arm around her waist. "Because I've always got the bread."

"You baked the bread for the sandwiches, didn't you?"

"I did. But yesterday."

"Oh, you didn't wake up super early and bake this bread just for us?" She leaned close and rested her head against his. "I thought I was special."

"You are special." He said softly. "Very special, Katniss."

Callie giggled. "Katniss and Daddy sitting in a tree."

Caleb joined in. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Peeta reached out and tackled both kids to the ground. "What are you singing?"

They giggled and continued to sing. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage."

Callie squealed and managed to get away. "Run, Caleb!" She called as she pushed her dad away from Caleb.

Peeta hopped to his feet and charged after both children. He snatched up Caleb and caught Callie around the waist. He ran around the clearing. He sang the song they had both just been singing. He stopped singing and sat the kids down on their feet. Then he leaned over Katniss.

"I'm not climbing a tree, but can I have a kiss anyway?" He asked. That smirk was back.

"Make it quick. You need to go to work." She cupped his cheeks and met him for a soft kiss.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I know." She pushed him away. "But I don't yet."

He nodded. "Cal, you're going to spend the afternoon with Caleb and Katniss and I'll meet you guys for dinner." He kissed his daughter's cheek. "Love you." He planted a kiss on the top of Caleb's head. "Love you." He stood. "See you all later." He walked away, looking over his shoulder every few steps.

"So do you guys want to play some more or do you want to head to the grocery store and decide what we want to make for dinner?"

"Store." Caleb said.

"Yeah, store." Callie agreed. "Daddy really likes pasta."

"Well, let's get packed up and go see what we can find." Katniss said.


	29. Chapter 29

_Author's note: I want to thank each and every one of you who have opened up about your therapy experiences. I have used that information as inspiration for these next few chapters. Please let me know what you think. This one is pretty light. They won't all be._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Peeta felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He was arguing with the new baker about a misplaced ingredient.

"I've been making this recipe since before I could talk. I know what goes in it." Peeta said.

"It's not on the recipe card." The young man argued.

Peeta picked up the recipe book and flipped to the appropriate page. "I need you to read that again, redo the dough, and please pay attention next time." He walked away and pulled his phone out. He had a missed call from Katniss.

She had left a message. "Hey, just got out. And I feel invigorated! Call me back."

He pressed her number and walked outside. "So you feel good?"

"Yeah, I feel really good. The therapist is really nice and seems understanding. I think I'm really going to like him."

"That's good."

"So you want to do lunch? I need to call Gale and let him know I'll be in after all."

Peeta chuckled. "Sure. When can you be over? I'll make something."

"Nothing big, Mr. Gourmet Chef." Katniss chided.

"Definitely not, Girl on Fire. So when should I expect you?"

"Five minutes?"

"I'll be waiting." He hung up and went back in to check on the new baker. "How's it going?"

"I fixed it. I must have read the recipe wrong."

"Mistakes happen." Peeta said. "Just keep your head down and you'll make it." He clapped the young man on the shoulder. He made his rounds and then stepped into the front. The lobby was filled with customers. He greeted a few and then asked Madge how the day was going.

"Busy, like always." Madge said with a smile.

"Good. Have you heard anything from Delly?"

She shook her head. "You really did a number on her."

"I was always truthful." Peeta said. The bell rang when the door opened. He looked up to see Katniss walk in. "Keep up the good work, Madge." He walked around the counter and slipped his arm around Katniss's waist. "Hi."

"Hi." She kissed his cheek and let him lead her to the back of the building. "Hi, Madge." She said as she passed.

"Hi, Katniss." Madge said back.

Peeta slipped his hand into Katniss's as he motioned for her to go through the door before him.

"So it was good?" Peeta asked. He unlocked the house.

"It was very good." Katniss followed him inside. "I really like my therapist and I think it's going to be successful."

He took a pizza out of the freezer. "This work?"

She laughed. "You mean you have frozen food? Frozen pre-made food? Not made by you?"

He laughed and opened the freezer and invited her to look. "Crazy, right?"

She looked. "Wow, look at that."

"Hey, can I have a kiss?" He asked as he watched her.

She closed the door and nodded. "Yes."

He brushed a kiss over her lips. "So do you want to talk about it or…?" He set the oven and got a pan out for the pizza.

"We mostly just talked about what I wanted to accomplish. I filled out a lot of paperwork." She chuckled. She sat at the kitchen table and watched as he assembled a salad. "He, um, said that it's going to get harder."

"Yeah?" He paused and watched her. "I'm here if you ever need anything. You know that, right?"

She nodded and gave him a grateful smile. "I'll be cashing that in soon, I'm sure."

"Just let me know." He sat a glass of water on the table. "We should have another sleepover soon."

"Yeah?" She took a sip of her water. "I have nightmares every night. I didn't when you stayed with me. I wonder why that is."

He leaned close. "My heart whispering to yours."

She chuckled. "You're such a romantic."

"I am." He pressed his lips against her again.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to admit his tongue. They kissed sweetly until Peeta finally pulled away.

"I love you." He whispered.

She shook her head.

"So you want to do a sleepover this weekend? I'll host this time."

"Okay. I'll make arrangements with Caleb."

"And I'll see if Cal's grandparents want the weekend. They asked for one soon."

"Oh, wait." She held up her fingers and started counting.

"What?"

"It may not be more than sleeping."

"Going to have your period?"

"Yeah."

"I'm cool with that."

She gave him a questioning look.

He shrugged. "You don't suddenly lose your desire, right? We can figure some stuff out. I mean, if you want. I'm not trying to pressure you. If you don't want to, we won't. But I'm not averse."

"We can think about me at a later date. I could focus on you. I'd _like_ to focus on you. You're far too accommodating."

He shrugged. "I know what sex was like for you before."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't by choice. So I want to do something for you. I _want_ to. You're not forcing me or coercing me. This will be my choice."

"Only whatever you're comfortable with." He cupped her cheek and brushed a kiss over her lips. He took the pizza out of the oven.

"So when it comes to periods, are you going to be the one talking to Callie?" Katniss asked as she went to the cabinet for plates.

"I don't know yet. I guess it depends on where it happens and when. And if we're comfortable about it."

"And if not you?"

"Probably Annie. She's the one that's been doing most of the 'girl stuff.'" He did the air quotes. "Unless you're still around. Then you can do it." He smiled and winked.

She chuckled. "I will, if you want me to."

"I'd appreciate it." He made a face. "That's soon-ish."

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll make you a deal. You have the talk with my kid and I'll have it with yours."

She held out her hand. "Deal."

He shook it and then kissed her knuckles.

"I trust you to make sure he treats any girl with as much care as you treat me."

He cupped her cheeks. "Better. And you let my girl know that it's okay to say no."

"Promise."

He kissed her again and leaned her against the counter. He kissed her slowly and deliberately. He eventually pulled away with a smile. "Let's eat. I have to get back to work."

"Ew! Work! You should just tell them you can't and come get naked with me."

He laughed. "I can't."

"Sure you can." She grinned.

"'I'm so sorry, Madge. I can't come back for the afternoon. Katniss is letting me touch her boobs.'"

She laughed. "'Gale, you can handle everyone, Peeta needs my help with a little something.'"

"Not little!" He shoved a plate into her hands.

Katniss took the plate. "He doesn't need to know what _little thing_ I'm helping with."

"Not little." Peeta said again.

"Don't worry, I don't need anything bigger _or_ smaller."

"Good to know."

They sat together and ate in silence for a while.

"So can I ask you some questions about today?"

"Depends."

"I mostly just want to know if you think it's going to work. Like really work. Make you better."

She shrugged and swallowed a bite. "I don't know. I want to stop feeling so…useless. Especially when I'm with you. You're patient, but I know that won't last forever. I want to be comfortable in my own skin so that we can get past some things. So that we can do more things in the bedroom. But also…" She looked down at her plate. "So that I don't feel guilty."

He put his hand on her knee. "You take your time figuring it out. Bedroom business can stop or slow down while you're working on yourself. And I don't mind."

She put her hand on top of his. "We make a great team."

"We do."

She looked at him like she'd suddenly come to a realization.

"What?"

"Nothing." She went back to her lunch. "Maybe I'll tell you later."

"Maybe." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You're so pretty."

"Stop." Her lips curled in a smile.

"Okay."

She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a soft kiss. "You're ridiculously adorable. Do you know that?"

"No one's ever called me adorable."

"Well, you are."

"Thanks. And you're really pretty."

"Thank you." She said softly and let go of his shirt.

They ate in silence. Peeta rubbed Katniss's knee. They shared a smile.

"I need to help you clean up so I can get to work. And you can get back to work."

He made a face. "Work is for squares."

"Squares who have to take care of their kids." She rubbed his hand. "I want to kiss you for a little bit first."

"Then come over here and do it."

She smiled and moved over to his lap. She cupped his cheeks and rained kisses over his face. She slipped her fingers into his hair and covered his mouth with hers. He pulled her close and slipped his hands under her shirt. He trailed his fingers along the back of her bra and swallowed her soft moan.

There was a knock on the door and Katniss broke the kiss with a sigh. "That may be something important."

"It may." Peeta lifted her up and kissed her again before he sat her on her feet. He opened the door to find Madge standing there. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Delly's here. She wants to talk to you. I said I'd come get you."

"I'll be right over."

"Okay. Good to see you again, Katniss." Madge waved.

"You, too, Madge." Katniss called as Peeta closed the door. "Going to go set up a date with your girlfriend?" She teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He smiled and slipped his arms round her waist. "Yes. And I'm going to bring her back over here and screw her brains out."

"You would not."

"No, I wouldn't." He brushed a kiss over her lips. "You gonna stick around?"

She shook her head. "I have to go set up the range. So you go talk to Delly and I'll clean up your kitchen and take off."

"Before you do, I want you to have something." He stepped over to the door and lifted a set of keys off the hook. "These were my dad's keys." He flipped through until he found the one he wanted. "This goes to this front door here." He took it off the ring. "The back door has a different key. And so does the shop. I don't even know what the rest of these are for." He hung the rest of the ring up and handed her the key. "Welcome to my home, Katniss."

She took the key and brushed a kiss over his lips. "Thank you."

He put his hand on the door knob. "I'll call you about this weekend."

"You do that."

She went to the kitchen to get it cleaned up and noticed she could watch Peeta cross the little street to the bakery. She watched until he was inside and then quickly cleaned up the kitchen. She locked the front door with her key and walked through the bakery. Peeta sat at the table in the corner with Delly. They were both smiling and she nodded a lot.

Katniss walked over and dropped her hand on Peeta's shoulder. "I'll see you later."

He looked up and smiled. "Bye."

She squeezed his shoulder and walked away. As she sat in her car outside she decided to write a text. " _I'm going to be thinking about your kisses for the rest of the day._ " She hit send and drove on.

Gale waved when she came through the door. "Hey, how did it go?"

"Great." She walked over. "He wants to meet with you and Prim. He said something about a support system. We can talk about it later all together. But I want to make sure you're okay with it."

"I'm totally okay with it." He draped an arm over her shoulders. "I'm always going to be here for you, Catnip. You have to believe that."

"I do. But you aren't obligated to."

He held out his hand and counted on his fingers. "Friend, brother-in-law, business partner, you were a housemate for a while. I'm not obligated to be there for you?"

She shrugged. "I never…" She chuckled. "That's one of the things we're going to work on. Letting other people in. I do, but selectively."

"Yeah. I was surprised when you told me the other day that Caleb was staying with Peeta."

"Peeta has a way of letting people know where they stand and letting them know how trustworthy he is. And Caleb really trusts him."

Gale watched her a few moments. "So that thing you mumbled the other day? About 'friends with benefits…'"

Katniss looked steadily at him. "What about it?"

"Are you?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"So what does that mean?"

"Do I really need to explain that concept to you?" She chuckled and moved toward the targets.

"As it affects Caleb and Callie." He said. He joined her with the targets.

"We flirt and kiss and hold hands around the kids. But we let them know that it's nothing serious. Because right now it isn't. Not until I heal a little more in therapy."

"And then what? You marry him?"

She shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

"Just be careful."

She nodded. "I am." She looked down. "I feel special with him." She looked up again. "And cared for and comfortable and…loved."

"You know how many people love you, Katniss."

"I know. But I also know that the last guy I was with made me feel like everything I did was wrong. I was a walking apology for the better part of a decade. And now I'm all gratitude."

He chuckled. "Poetic, Catnip."

"I know, right? I guess that's what happens when you get good attention from someone." She smiled and hurried to greet their first clients of the day.


	30. Chapter 30

_Author's note: I just decided to go ahead and publish this one because it's got some really great moments that I couldn't wait to share with you. Please let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Thirty

Peeta's phone rang Friday night. He smiled when he saw Katniss's number. "Hey, it's my Girl on Fire."

"Hi, my Boy with the Bread." He could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm sorry, but Prim and Gale are going away for the weekend and I don't like Caleb sleeping over at friends' houses. So I'm going to have to cancel our plans."

"We don't have to completely cancel them. You and Caleb can still come over here and hang out for a while. If you want."

"I think Caleb will be over the moon with that one. We'll rent a movie and pick up some snacks and be right over."

"Good. I'll start cooking some burgers and fries and we should be able to eat as soon as you get here."

"Caleb is wasting away with hunger. I'm sure he'll appreciate that." She chuckled.

Peeta laughed. "I'll be sure to make extra."

Katniss said something to someone on the other end. She laughed and said, "Caleb is so ready. We'll see you in about twenty minutes."

"I'll be ready." He turned on the oven and got to work preparing hamburgers. He stuck fries in the oven. His phone rang as he got the burgers ready. He put it to his ear. "Hey, baby girl!"

"Hi, Daddy! I was just calling to let you know we made it."

"I'm glad. Do Grandma and Grandpa have plans set or are you just going to wing it?"

"Grandpa said something about decorating for fall."

"It's going to look great. Your grandparents always do such a good job. Fall was always their favorite season. Your mom's, too."

"What's your favorite season?" Callie asked. She was definitely in a chatty mood.

"I like fall and winter. Baking pumpkin pies and apple pies and covering things in cranberry sauce." He chuckled.

"I like your apple pies."

"I'll make dozens just for you, Cal."

"So what are you doing?"

"Katniss and Caleb are coming over for supper."

She groaned. "I want to hang out with Katniss and Caleb."

"There will be plenty more times to hang out."

Callie asked tentatively, "Are you and Katniss dating?"

"No, sweetie, we're not. She's just my friend."

"But you kiss her. And I know you like her."

"Grown-ups are complicated, Cal. And one day when you're older you'll understand it. I hope. But I also hope it's not so complicated in a few years."

"Like you'll really be dating her?"

"I guess we'll see." There was a knock on the door and he walked over to open it. "You could have used your key." He said in greeting.

Katniss shrugged. "We were being polite. Is that Callie?"

"Yeah. Want to talk to Katniss?"

"Yes, please!" The girl exclaimed.

Peeta handed the phone over. "She wants to say hey. Caleb, why don't you help me finish supper?"

"Okay!" He ran off into the kitchen.

"Hey, Calliope." Katniss said. "You with your grandparents this weekend?"

"Yes. And I'm so jealous. I want to hang out with you."

She chuckled. "We'll get together all of us again. You get to spend time with your grandparents. That's a very special relationship you get to have, Callie."

"Yeah." Callie said. "I should let you go. Grandma said we could go get some supper. Wherever I want."

"Choose something great, kid." She bit her lip and watched Peeta and Caleb in the kitchen a moment. She turned away and said softly. "Callie, I, uh." She took a breath and let it out. "I love you, kiddo. Just know that, okay?"

"I love you, too, Katniss." She said easily.

"I'll give you back to your dad. I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Katniss handed the phone back to Peeta and started gathering plates.

"You have fun this weekend, baby girl. And I'll see you Sunday."

"Okay, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you more." He smiled. "Bye." He slipped his phone into his pocket. He placed his hand on Katniss's back and she turned. He leaned in and whispered, "I heard what you said to her."

She smiled and looked away. "You say it to Caleb. I only thought it was right."

He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Don't feel obligated."

"I'm not. I feel it." She placed her hand on his chest. "It's easier for me to feel it and accept it from certain people. And you aren't those certain people. Okay?"

He smiled and nodded. "I know."

"I trust you, though. And trust is more important than love with you."

Peeta cupped her cheek and pressed another kiss to Katniss's lips. "Thank you."

Katniss helped Caleb assemble his plate and then made her own. She sat and watched Peeta move around the kitchen. She loved watching him dance from one thing to another so smoothly. He was made for a kitchen. She caught his hand as he moved around her to take a seat. She kissed it and then let it go.

"Peeta, Mama let me pick a movie and I picked one with a really cool car on the front."

"The Fast and the Furious. Or whichever one is out now." Katniss clarified.

"Oh, cool, I like those movies." Peeta smiled. "I look forward to it."

"Then Mama picked one that she said is funny, but there aren't any talking animals. And movies with talking animals are _always_ funny. So I don't know what to think about that."

Peeta chuckled. "You're not wrong."

"We'll just see." Katniss said.

"Yeah, we will." Peeta rested his hand on Katniss's knee. "I'm so happy you're here."

Katniss smiled and nodded. "Me too."

Caleb chattered almost non-stop through the entire meal. Then he continued on through the clean-up.

Peeta put the movie in the DVD player and then sat in the open spot in the middle of the couch between Katniss and Caleb. The boy curled up and rested his head on Peeta's lap. Peeta combed his fingers through Caleb's hair. Katniss curled against his side and kissed his cheek. He wrapped his other arm around her and rubbed her arm. He loved this family time. He only wished Callie were there with them. And that it were a more official family, but that part could wait a while.

"I think he's asleep." Katniss said softly after the movie ended.

Peeta looked over. "Yeah, he is."

"We should probably head home then."

"You don't have to rush off." He picked up the end of her braid and tickled her cheek. He whispered, "Stay with me tonight."

"We can't." She whispered back.

"Why not?"

"We just can't." She moved away from him and shut off the TV.

"Please don't run from me." He pleaded softly.

She stood and motioned him to follow her into the other room. She filled a glass with water and leaned against the counter to sip it.

He leaned beside her. "What's wrong?"

"My son's here. Asleep on your couch. It's just not right."

"I get it. I just need to hold you, Katniss. I haven't slept."

"Neither have I." She admitted. She turned her head and saw him looking at her. She stared at his lips. "I do like kissing you."

"We could definitely do more of that."

She leaned in. "Yeah?"

He leaned in. "Yeah."

She moved in a little more.

He smiled and met her the rest of the way. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She sat her glass on the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck. She sighed and broke the kiss.

Peeta gently scratched Katniss's back. "I'll help you get him in the car."

"No, I think we'll stay. If I can borrow clothes again."

"Sure." He kissed her again and stepped away. "I'll get a blanket for the kid, too."

"Thanks." She kneeled down by Caleb on the couch and kissed his forehead. She whispered, "Baby, we're staying here tonight. I'll be asleep in Peeta's room if you need me."

"Okay." He mumbled and rolled over.

She chuckled and took the blanket Peeta offered and draped it over Caleb. "I love you, baby." She walked around the back of the couch and took the extra clothes he held. "Appreciate it."

They were just settling in when Caleb appeared in the doorway. "Mama?"

"Hey, baby. Come here." She looked over her shoulder at Peeta. "Is it okay?"

"Yeah, of course." He moved over and let her move closer.

Caleb climbed into bed beside Katniss. He immediately went back to sleep.

"Thank you for staying." Peeta said.

"Thank you for asking for us to stay. I like that we're turning into a bit of a family."

"We could be more."

"Not right now."

He pulled on her shoulder. "Hey, listen, I'm patient. I'll wait. I was just making a suggestion and letting you know what I wish for."

"I know. I'm just not ready." She reached up and touched his face. "I don't have to say it to feel it, you know? I just need some more time."

He watched her a moment and then leaned over and kissed her softly. "I know." He kissed her again and then wrapped his arms around both of them. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight." She whispered.

They didn't see the smile that spread across Caleb's face.

* * *

"Mama, wake up. Peeta's making pancakes from scraps." Caleb shook her shoulder.

Katniss opened an eye. "What kind of scraps?" She asked with a grin.

"You know? Flour and sugar and stuff."

"Scratch, baby. And I'll be in there in a minute." She rolled over and stretched.

"I want us to be a family, Mama. Us and Peeta and Callie."

She sat up and combed her fingers through his hair. "I know you do, baby. But right now we're not a family. We're friends. Really good friends. Okay?"

He nodded. "I'm going back to help Peeta with breakfast." He sulked out of the room.

Katniss went to the bathroom and then stood in front of the mirror. "I am an idiot." She said to herself.

She walked into the kitchen and watched as Peeta patiently coached Caleb through flipping a pancake. It fell half over the side of the pan. Caleb groaned, but Peeta assured him it was okay and helped him flip the next. It was still a little sloppy, but it stayed in the pan. The last was nearly perfect.

Peeta picked Caleb up off the chair he stood on and spun him around while he cheered. Caleb giggled and wrapped his arms around Peeta's neck.

"I love you, Peeta." Caleb said as he held on tightly.

"I love you, Caleb." Peeta squeezed him and kissed his cheek before he sat him down. "Good morning, Katniss. I made tea. But if you want coffee, I can make some."

She shook her head. "Tea is fine." She made a cup for herself as the men went back to work on the pancakes.

Peeta dipped his finger in the batter and dabbed it on Caleb's nose.

The boy giggled and returned the gesture.

"Don't make a mess, guys." Katniss scolded.

"Yes, Mom." Peeta said in a mocking voice.

Caleb repeated it in the same tone and then started laughing uncontrollably.

Katniss ruffled her son's hair and kissed the top of his head. Then she cupped Peeta's cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you." She whispered.

"You're very welcome." Peeta whispered back.

Katniss stepped away and watched them finish making breakfast while she sipped the rest of her tea.

Peeta made a plate and handed it to Caleb to bring to Katniss. The look of concentration on his face was almost comical. Katniss proudly took it from him.

"Thank you." She turned around and took a bite. "Perfect, guys."

"Peeta did most of the work." Caleb walked back to the stove and took the plate Peeta offered. "Thank you for letting me help, Peeta."

"I appreciate your help, buddy." He leaned down and kissed the boy's forehead. "Now, eat up, you two. They aren't nearly as tasty cold." He made his own plate and sat down with them. "So do you have plans for the day?"

"I need to go to the range and practice a little." Katniss said. "And Caleb needs a little, too."

Peeta nodded. "I have cakes to decorate." He made a silly face. "The work of a baker and cake decorator is never done."

"Probably should have been over there already." Katniss said.

"Probably." He said. "But I had a pretty girl in my bed this morning and I couldn't make myself leave." He kissed her cheek.

Katniss blushed. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Peeta squeezed her leg. "I'm going to miss you guys today."

"We'll miss you, too." Caleb said. "I mean, I know I will."

"I will, too." Katniss leaned over.

Peeta smiled and met her the rest of the way for a kiss.

Caleb grinned. "I like to see you kiss each other."

Katniss sat up and smoothed her hand over Caleb's hair. "It's nothing serious."

Caleb nodded. "But it's still nice to see."


	31. Chapter 31

_Author's note: This chapter is a little heavier than the previous ones. I used information from some very helpful people about their therapy experiences to form this chapter. If you think something needs more information or completely fixed, please feel free to let me know._

 _Trigger warning for this one. There's an allusion to Cato's abuse. Not explicit, but still present._

 _Happy reading._

Chapter Thirty-One

Katniss sat in her car and stared at her phone for several minutes. She didn't know what to do. She could go home and wallow in all the truth that she'd admitted to and she was sure it would be easy to get lost in it. But she also knew that if she just went home and got lost in this, she would be useless.

She found Peeta's number and let her finger hover over it for several breaths before she finally pushed it and held the phone to her ear.

His voicemail picked up. "Hey, you got Peeta Mellark here. If this is bakery business or an emergency, please call the bakery number. If it can wait, just leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Peeta, it's Katniss." She didn't know what else to say. She sighed. "I'm coming over. I'll be in your house."

She drove across town and pulled into the driveway behind the bakery. She walked up to the front door and stuck the key in the lock.

Peeta called, "Katniss!" He ran across the road and stopped in front of her. He placed his hands on her waist. "Hey, what's up?"

She shrugged and unlocked the door. She walked inside and he followed, still holding one hand on her waist.

"How was your session?" He asked, trying again.

She dropped her keys and her purse on the floor and kicked off her shoes as she walked toward the couch. She pulled Peeta down with her as she sat. "I just need you to hold me for a little while."

"I can do that." He wrapped his arms around her and reclined on the couch. He smoothed his hands over her back.

She pressed her eyes into his shoulder and breathed in the scent of flour and yeast and sugar that clung to his clothes after even a few hours in the bakery. It was calming and comforting. She took several breaths and then looked up at him. "Dr. Flickerman said that it would probably be pretty hard."

"Yeah."

"I was waiting for this to come to a head. I didn't realize it would take so long." She pressed her eyes in his shoulder again. "You can go back to work whenever you need."

"I'm good for now. But what about your work?"

"Gale can take care of it. I'll call him in a little bit." She took another deep breath and let it out. "And he can watch Caleb for the afternoon."

"If you need to stay, you can. Stay as long as you need." He combed his fingers through her hair.

Katniss was completely spent, drained of all energy from the morning talking about her issues. She hadn't planned on saying so much today, but something had sparked and she had spoken at length about the night Caleb was conceived. She closed her eyes tighter as the memory hit her again.

"You're soaking my shirt." Peeta said softly. "You want to talk?"

"I've talked enough for a while. Just hold me." She sobbed. "Hold me tighter."

He tightened his embrace. "I got you, Katniss. I'm here."

She cried out everything and was even more exhausted. She fell asleep on his chest. He held her for a while longer. He gently moved from underneath her. Her phone was ringing in her purse.

"Will you answer that?" She asked. Her eyes were heavy and nearly shut. "And if it's about Caleb, could you send Gale?"

"Sure thing." He took her phone out of the side pocket and saw Gale's name. "It's Gale."

"Answer." She rolled over.

Peeta slid the button over to answer. "Uh, hi, Katniss's phone."

"Is this Peeta?"

"Yeah. Katniss is…" He looked over to the couch. Katniss's shoulders raised and lowered slowly in her steady breathing of sleep. "It was pretty rough today, apparently."

"Okay. Well, just let her know I'll get Caleb and take care of all the coaching." He paused. "Take good care of her, will you?"

"I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thanks. And have her call me when she feels up to it so we can discuss some stuff."

"You got it." He hung up and sat the phone on the coffee table. He kneeled by the couch. "Katniss, do you need anything?"

She didn't respond.

He squeezed her shoulder and stood. He found a blanket and draped it over her. "I'm going to run back over to the bakery for a bit. I have some stuff to put in order. Then I'll be back."

"Kay."

He smiled. "Your phone is on the coffee table. Call if I'm not back and you need me. Make yourself at home." He kissed her temple.

She rolled over. "What did Gale want?"

"To check on you. He said he'd handle the coaching and Caleb."

She nodded and closed her eyes again. "I just need to not feel so tired."

"Rest, Katniss. You're safe here." Peeta leaned down and kissed her forehead.

A relieved smile spread across her lips and her face relaxed as she dozed off once more.

* * *

Katniss awoke in a fog to the sound of pots clanking around in the kitchen. She sat up and rubbed her face. She looked at her phone. It was nearly one.

"I can't believe I slept that long." She said.

Peeta sat a cup of tea in front of her and went back into the kitchen. "I can't either. I was beginning to worry."

"And yet you had tea ready for me." She picked up the cup and brought it to her nose.

"I saw you stirring. Are you hungry? I've almost got lunch finished."

"I guess I'm hungry." She stood on shaky legs and walked into the kitchen. "I don't know what I feel. Numb, I guess." She sat the cup down and leaned against the counter, crossing her arms.

"Can I do anything?"

She shook her head. "Just what you're doing."

He kissed her temple. "Just let me know."

"I will." She looked down. "You talked to Gale, right? That wasn't a dream?"

"Yeah. He said he'd take care of today. And that he'd get Caleb. And he said he wanted you to call him when you feel up to it."

She nodded. "I feel like…foggy. I don't know." She rubbed her face. "Tired still."

"Yeah." He poured a jar of sauce into the noodles on the stove. "Here, maybe if you eat a little." He spooned some onto a plate and stuck a piece of cheese bread on the side. He held it out.

"I'm not hungry."

"Katniss, please."

She sighed and took the plate from him. She sat down and waited for him to follow. She took a bite.

"So is everything okay?" Peeta asked softly.

Katniss shrugged. "I don't want to talk."

"You don't have to talk. I just want to know you're okay."

"I'm fine." She pushed her food around on her plate. "I think."

"I know your therapist is the one you're paying to talk to so you can work all this out. But if there is something that comes up that needs more than the hour… Just know that I'm here for you."

"Thank you. I know you are. I just don't want to dump it all on you. It's not your problem."

He squeezed her shoulder and then rubbed her back. "I know. And I'm always willing to let you cry on my chest."

She nodded. "Can I spend the rest of the afternoon on your couch? You can go back to work. I just don't want to go home."

"Sure. Make yourself at home." He went back to his lunch, but she gave up on hers. She sat the plate on the counter next to her tea cup and went back to the couch. She pulled the blanket over her shoulders and stared blankly at the wall.

Peeta washed up and leaned over Katniss. "Call me if you need. Or come find me. I'll keep Cal out of your hair."

"I'll be fine."

"I know. But if you want to be alone, I'll find her a place at the bakery to hang out."

She nodded. "I may just go curl up in your bed and close the door."

"That would be okay, too." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Just take care of yourself, Katniss."

"I don't know if I can."

"You have to try. For Caleb."

She nodded. "For Caleb." She rolled over and faced the back of the couch.

Peeta rubbed her back and then left for the bakery.

Katniss stared at a stain on the cushion. Time became nothing. She heard the door open. Callie called a greeting and then went to the kitchen. She rolled over and watched as the girl made herself a sandwich and headed back for the door.

"Calliope?" Katniss called.

She turned and smiled. "Hi again. Daddy said you weren't feeling well." She held out her sandwich. "Peanut butter and jelly? I can make another one."

"No, thanks. You going back to the bakery?"

"Yeah." She took a bite of her sandwich. "Dad said not to bother you."

Katniss nodded. She sat up and patted the cushion beside her. "How was school?"

Callie sat beside her. "It was good. Why are you sick?"

"I'm not exactly sick." Katniss patted her back. "You remember when I told you about that mean man?"

Callie nodded and took another bite of her sandwich.

"I'm seeing a therapist, a doctor that you talk to, to help me. And some days I will talk about things that hurt. And today was one of those days."

"Where's Caleb? Why didn't he come home with me if you're here?"

"He's with Gale. I'll talk with him about it later."

Callie nodded again. "Are you going to stay for supper?"

"I think I'll head home in a bit."

"Okay. I'll go back to the bakery. Dad said to leave you alone and I already disobeyed him." She stood and turned. "The other day on the phone? When you said you love me?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really? Or were you just saying it because Daddy says it to Caleb? Because you haven't said it to me since then."

Katniss grabbed her hand. "I do love you, Calliope. You are very special and very important. And I love you. And don't you ever forget that."

"Do you…?" She swallowed. "Do you love my dad?"

"I don't know." She squeezed Callie's hand. "I'm trying to work on it, though. Okay? So maybe I'll figure it out. I promise, whatever happens with me and your dad, you and Caleb come first."

"What does that mean?"

"I means that if your dad and I stop being friends, I'll still want to spend time with you and Caleb will still come here to spend time with you and your dad."

"But, Katniss, I want you to be my mom."

"I know. But I can't be. Not right now anyway."

Callie nodded. "Okay."

Katniss pulled her closer. "Look, we're all going away this weekend. And we're going to have some fun and be a family for at least a little while. So cherish that, okay? Because it's all I can give for now."

Callie nodded again and walked out the door without another word.

Katniss sighed. She picked up her phone and sent Peeta a text. " _I'm going home. Thanks for letting me crash at your place for the day. I'll see you Friday._ "

" _I'll text and call between now and then, just so you know._ " He responded.

" _I look forward to it._ "

" _Love you._ "

Katniss stared at the screen for a long time before she responded. " _I know you do_."

" _Tell Caleb hi for me?_ "

" _I will._ " She drove home and started supper.


	32. Chapter 32

_Author's note: We're almost at the end! You ready? This chapter, two more, and an epilogue. The next chapters will probably happen tomorrow and the next day unless I can get some work done around my house in the next few hours and get the next chapter to you._

 _I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. Tell all your friends that prefer to read complete fics that this one isn't one to be missed._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Wow!" Katniss said as she looked around the suite they had been showed to.

"Yeah." Peeta said.

"It's gigantic!" Caleb ran into the middle of the main room. "Where are the beds?"

The bellman that escorted them up pointed to a set of doors to his left. "Two bedrooms there." He pointed across the room. "Another there. The other is the bathroom." He walked across and opened the door. "Separate tub and shower."

"And the Abernathys paid for this in advance?" Peeta sat his toolbox on the counter in the kitchen area.

"They did. The wedding will take place in the courtyard just out there." He pointed to a set of French doors and walked across to them. He opened them. "We don't have room in the kitchen for cake preparation. We're booked. It's kind of short notice. But we do have this suite with the kitchen. It should be enough."

"I already have the cakes baked. It's just a matter of decoration. Do you perhaps have an extra table I can have for the prep? And maybe something on castors for moving?"

"I'll look into that for you, Mr. Mellark?" He handed the key to Peeta and closed up the French doors.

"Thank you." Peeta pulled a bill from his wallet and handed it over. "Let me know about the tables soon, please."

"I'll do it right now." He left the room and looked around. "Okay, I guess we need to discuss the room arrangements?"

Katniss slipped her arm around his waist. "I'll share with Caleb. You and Callie get your own rooms."

Peeta pressed his mouth to her ear. "No funny business, then?"

She smiled. "Well, I guess we can talk about that later. You have to get with the decorating."

He stole a kiss. "Right."

"Daddy, can we go to the pool?" Callie asked.

"Not yet, sweetheart. I'm going to need help with this for the first little bit. Maybe if Katniss is up for it, you can go swimming in a little while."

She sighed and picked up the remote as she plopped down on the sofa. "This is the biggest TV I've ever seen." She marveled, clearly over not getting to go to the pool right away.

Caleb climbed up on a chair as Peeta unpacked all his tools and the decorations he'd been working on for the last week.

Katniss stood close by. Peeta touched her whenever he walked past her to distribute things different places. She smiled. "Is there anything you want me to do yet or are you still trying to get organized?"

"Open that fridge for me, would you?" He started unstacking the boxes that held the cakes.

She did. "Fully stocked."

"Just what I was afraid of." He walked to the phone on the wall and dialed the front desk. "Yeah, I actually need most of this refrigerator. Is there any way the food inside can be transported elsewhere?" He paused. He stepped toward Katniss and smoothed his hand over her hair. "Okay, thank you." He hung up. "Will you help me start unloading this? Someone's on the way here with a cooler to cart it off. Caleb?"

Caleb hurried over and helped take things out and sat them on the dining table. They worked together, even Callie helped out. Peeta was finally able to get everything he needed in the fridge and to get to work. Tables arrived and the food went away.

Callie went back to the TV and Caleb got back to the table to watch. Katniss attempted to help Peeta, but she seemed to mostly be in the way. He assured her she was very helpful, but eventually claimed he could finish up on his own.

"Take those two yahoos swimming. I'll come get you when I need more help." He tapped the end of her nose with a bit of frosting.

She laughed and wiped it off. "What was that for?"

"Because I felt like it." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. He whispered, "I love you."

"I know." She whispered back. She kissed him again and then she walked over and leaned close to Callie's ear. "Hey, Calliope."

The girl jumped and turned with a laugh.

"Go get your swim suit on, kiddo." Katniss chuckled.

"Is Daddy coming, too?" Callie asked.

"Daddy's working. Maybe once he's got the cake finished." She kissed Callie's temple and moved away. "Come on, Caleb, I'll help you find your trunks."

Katniss was in the middle of changing into her suit when the bathroom door opened from the bedroom and Peeta slipped in. She shook her head. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to have a private moment with you."

"The kids are just outside."

"I'll go through that door into the bedroom and wait until you leave." He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead against hers. "I want you to share my room tonight. You did that night when Caleb was there. So he knows we have shared a bed. I'm sure Cal knows, too."

She stroked his cheeks. "Okay. We're sharing a bed. Now let me go so I can take the kids swimming."

He heaved a dramatic sigh. "And I have to get back to work."

"Oh, poor baby. Doing your job." She rubbed his back. "I'll massage your shoulders and your ego after I have a little fun in the pool." She grabbed three towels and headed out of the bathroom. "Let's get going, kids. Dad needs peace."

"Where is Dad?" Callie asked as they walked out the door.

"Bedroom, I guess." Katniss ushered them outside before they looked toward the bathroom.

They had a blast at the pool. Katniss cheered Callie and Caleb on as they raced back and forth. They played Marco Polo.

Peeta came and stood by the pool to watch them for a while. Katniss noticed him before the kids did. She gave him a seductive wink and a smile.

Callie swam toward the edge when she noticed him. "Hi, Dad. How's the cake?"

"Coming along nicely." He kneeled down. "I needed a break."

Caleb called from the top of the slide. "Hey, Peeta, watch!" He launched himself down head first and swam forward several feet before he surfaced. "Did you see, Peeta?" He asked as he pushed water out of his face.

"I saw, buddy. Good j—" His sentence was cut off by a pull on his arms and then he hit the water. He came up laughing and splashed Katniss and his daughter. "Good think I left my phone and keys over there with your shoes."

Katniss wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you on track?"

"Yep." He pressed a kiss to her lips.

She smiled. "You should stop."

"I should." He kissed her again.

Caleb jumped on his back. "Can you take me for a ride, Peeta?"

"Just for a little, buddy, I need to get back to work." He swam in circles and then let Caleb go. "I have to get back to the room. And I need a little help getting the cake out to the party soon."

The kids groaned. Callie asked, "Do we have to leave then?"

"I think so." Katniss said. "Four people that need to change out of their wet clothes and a cake to finish." She looked to Peeta. "You get a head start."

"One more kiss before I go?" Peeta asked.

She smiled and nodded.

He pressed his lips to hers.

"Can I go with Peeta?" Caleb asked.

Katniss looked askance at Peeta and then nodded. "Go for it." She said.

Caleb happily scrambled out of the pool after Peeta.

After they were gone, Callie asked, "So what's going on?"

Katniss smiled. "What do you mean?"

"With my dad. When we left you called him Dad to both of us."

Katniss pulled herself up on the edge. Callie followed and Katniss wrapped an arm around her waist. "Sometimes things just come out."

"But does that mean you want my dad to be Caleb's dad?" The girl asked hopefully.

"I don't know." She smoothed her hand over Callie's hair. "It would be nice." She kissed Callie's temple and then stood. She held out her hand. "Let's go get out of these wet clothes. It should be time for dinner soon."

"What are we going to have?" She took Katniss's hand and let herself be hoisted to her feet.

"We'll see. We have that kitchen. We could probably make something."

They stepped into the hotel room just as Peeta stepped out of the bathroom. His hair was still wet and a curl hung over his eye. Katniss wanted to run across the room and brush it back and kiss him until they couldn't breathe. She shook herself and walked to the couch. She ruffled Caleb's hair.

"Callie and I were just discussing dinner." Katniss said.

"I could whip something together." Peeta said as he went back to the cake and got to work. "Or we could order room service."

"What's room service?" Caleb asked.

Katniss said, "We call and order food and they bring it to us."

"Let's do that!" Callie said. "Will they make us anything we want?"

"Here's the menu." Peeta pulled it out and sat it on the counter.

Callie snatched it up and plopped down on the couch beside Caleb.

Katniss left them to it to change. When she came out, the kids had both decided that everything sounded gross except for cheeseburgers and fries. Katniss agreed after she read it. She showed it to Peeta.

"Fancy pants menu for a fancy pants hotel." He chuckled. "I'll have the same. You want to call?"

"Sure. Calliope, change out of your suit."

"Yes, ma'am." She got up and went into her room.

After she ordered their food, Katniss sat in a bar stool across from Peeta as he continued to work on the cake. "You're so talented." She said with a smile.

He matched her smile. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You want some?" He indicated the piping bag he held.

"No thanks."

He worked quietly for a moment and then slid something across the table. In icing, he'd written, "Can't wait for bed."

She smiled and swiped her finger through the last word. "Same." She stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked the confection off.

Peeta blushed a little and cleared his throat. "I'm almost done with this."

"And then what happens with it?" She ate more of the icing.

"We put it on that cart over there," he pointed to a rolling table he'd sat off to the side, "and roll it out to the other end of the courtyard. Then I get the rest of my payment. And I can take you out on the town."

"On a date?" She asked softly.

He looked over her shoulder and then said just as softly, "Do you want it to be?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

He nodded. "How are you feeling? After last week's therapy? I haven't asked in a while."

"It's fine." She looked down. "I keep thinking…" She looked over her shoulder to see the kids now watching TV together. "I'll tell you later."

"You don't have to tell me anything. I just want to make sure you're okay?" He put the piping bag down and pulled a box toward him. He pulled out a flower and placed it on top. He slowly started to put more on in a lovely cascade down the side.

Peeta took a break to eat and then put the finishing touches on the cake.

"That's awesome!" Callie said.

Caleb nodded. "It's so pretty, Peeta. I want to decorate cakes like you do."

"I'll teach you, kid." Peeta promised.

"Okay, cool!" Caleb pushed the rolling cart over. "Is it time to move it?"

"It is. Katniss, do you think you can help lift this thing? It's pretty heavy."

"I'm strong." She promised. But it was heavier than it looked. She was worried she'd drop it, but they made it to the cart. She walked at the front and made sure it didn't tip. The kids walked on either side.

At the other end of the massive courtyard stood a covered tent. On one end was an altar draped in beautiful silver and white fabric. There were calla lilies on pedestals all around the perimeter. Workers did the finishing touches as Haymitch and a beautiful woman dressed to the nines with hair teased about six inches high looked on.

They came over. The woman walked on heels higher than Katniss ever imagined anyone could safely manage.

She held out her hand. "I'm Effie."

Peeta shook it. "Peeta Mellark. Congratulations on your daughter's marriage. I hope the cake looks alright."

"Beautiful." She said. Tears sprung to her eyes. "Oh, Jo is going to love it."

Haymitch grumbled and handed over a handkerchief. He reached back into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Thank you so much. And anything you want on room service, you can get. The room is all taken care of."

"Thank you, Haymitch. And let the brides know it was a great pleasure creating this masterpiece for them." He shook both their hands and Katniss did the same.

They returned to their room where they all gathered on the couch to watch TV all piled together on the couch. The party started outside and they could hear the music muffled through the doors. It sounded like they had a small string band. They played a slow tune.

"That's pretty." Callie noted. "Can we open the doors and listen?"

"Sure." Peeta said. He got up and walked over to open it. He stood there watching the group dancing on the other end. He turned. "Katniss, may I have this dance?"

She smiled and got up. She placed her hand in his outstretched one and spun into his arms. He pulled her close and danced smoothly. She shook her head. "Is there anything you can't do?"

He grinned. "Shoot a bow." He spun her out again and then back. He held her close once more and whispered in her ear, "We're going to need to have a very serious conversation soon."

"About what?" She asked. Her heart beat hard in her chest.

"How amazing you'd be for me."

She smiled and rested her forehead against his. "I don't know, Peeta."

"Well, if you don't know, you shouldn't hold me so tightly." They swayed in silence until the song ended.

They stood still as the next number started, this one more upbeat. Katniss sniffed and stepped back. She wiped her eyes and shook her head. "No. No, I don't think so, Peeta." She hurried into the bathroom and sat on the closed toilet. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

It hurt. Why did everything always hurt? Why could she never be happy like Gale and Prim? Why couldn't she just accept Peeta's love? It's not like she didn't feel it for him in return, she just didn't know if she could trust it, even if she said it out loud.

But she did love him. She did. She reached for some toilet paper and wiped her eyes and blew her nose and stood. She loved him. She knew she did. So how was she going to handle it now?


	33. Chapter 33

**_Trigger warning: Katniss talks candidly about a specific incident of abuse. Then the effects of that are shown afterward. Take proper precaution when reading._**

 _Author's note: This is the penultimate chapter and then we have the epilogue. Both the final chapter and epilogue will be posted tomorrow. Some even bigger things happen in this chapter, so let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading._

Chapter Thirty-Three

Peeta slipped into bed and watched the door that led to the bathroom. She'd come out of there earlier with red eyes. The children had heard her crying. Caleb asked what was wrong and Callie said nothing. He had no answer for the boy. What could he possibly say?

"I'm sorry, kid, your mom is messed up from your asshole of a father and I can't convince her that I'm not like that."

No, that wouldn't be nice to say. Even though he was sure Caleb was well aware of his father's personality and treatment of Katniss, he dare not speak ill of it. He wasn't sure Katniss would appreciate that.

So he just rubbed the boy's back and said, "She's having a bad week."

Caleb asked, "Is it because of her talking doctor?"

"Yeah." Peeta said.

"I talked to him. He's got funny looking teeth."

Peeta smiled and kissed the top of his head.

She had emerged a short time later and announced that it was time for Caleb to get ready for bed, her eyes still ringed in red.

Callie went to bed a little later and now Peeta was in his, waiting for Katniss to join him. She had said she would, but never if she'd changed her mind.

Then the door opened and she stood there a moment. She slowly made her way to the bed.

"I'm sorry about earlier." She said as she sat there. "I heard Caleb asking you what's wrong."

He shrugged. "I didn't know what to say."

"You said the right thing." She stretched out facing him. "Do you ever look back on your life and think about how you could have done things differently?"

Peeta scooted down on the bed and rested his hand on her hip. "Sometimes."

Katniss moved closer. There were still several inches separating them, but he could feel her body heat. "If I had changed one choice, it would all be okay. But then there would be no Caleb." She rubbed her hand up and down his arm. "Loving him and knowing him, I couldn't imagine a world where he didn't exist. And I hate that when he was a baby…" She moved even closer until she was firmly in his arms. "I didn't want him. I did, but I didn't at the same time. You know what I mean?"

"Because of his father?"

She nodded. "I was so scared he'd turn out like Cato. And if he did, what would I do?"

"He's a very loving little boy." Peeta pointed out.

Katniss nodded. "I'm coming to realize that a person's identity is more about how you are treated as a child than how you came to be. I have surrounded him with people that love him. Because Cato never had that. And I lost it too soon. If I had refused Cato the first time he gave me attention, I would be in a much better place now than I am. But Caleb wouldn't have been born. And I know that I never would have known the difference, but it would still feel like a piece of me is missing. I also know that the past can't be changed, but the future can be molded to what we want it to be."

"It can."

"And I…" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I have trouble saying it to you. But I have tried my best to show it. And I know we've talked a few times about it." She kissed him softly. She whispered, "I love you, Peeta." Tears filled her eyes. "And I don't know how it will work. I can't be with you, even though we both want it. Because I'm just so scared."

He rubbed her back and kissed her cheeks. "I have you."

She wiped away her tears and sniffed. "I think I'm okay."

"You are."

She blurted, "I started birth control."

He smiled. He kissed the wrinkle between her eyes and then rolled over and walked toward the wall. "Don't think me presumptuous." He unzipped his suitcase and took something out. He got back in the bed and let a roll of condoms unfold.

"You definitely were expecting more than once." She said with a watery chuckle.

"I mostly figured it would be better for clean-up purposes when we did our regular stuff."

She nodded. "You're a smart man, Peeta."

"I do what I can."

She slipped her hand under his shirt and kissed him. "Make love to me."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Let's try."

"Okay." He stretched out over her and kissed her deeply. "But make sure you tell me to stop or slow down."

"Or speed up." She pulled his shirt off and threw it to the side. "Because there's no telling if the kids will wake up or how long this will take if you go too slow. And you have a lot of driving ahead of you tomorrow."

He smiled and covered her mouth in another deep kiss. The rest of their clothes went away and their hands and mouths explored familiar territory. Katniss reclined on the bed and let Peeta take over. She scraped her nails gently over his shoulders as he moved lower.

Then his fingers made contact with her entrance and she pushed him away. She rolled onto her side and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He moved behind her. "It's okay."

She looked over her shoulder. "You're little friend's telling me otherwise."

He kissed her shoulder. "I'll be fine."

"I just…" She moved to her back. "It's still going to be so hard for me."

"I'm a patent man, Katniss." He assured her. "And I know with your therapy it's just going to make this an uphill climb for you."

"That's why I love you, Peeta." She rubbed his arm. "You're kinder than I deserve."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You've deserved kind all your life. You just missed a few important years."

She rolled over on top of him. "Let's try this again." She kissed him. It was a slow kiss that showed him just how much she appreciated him. She bit her lip and watched him with worried eyes.

"We don't have to."

"We don't." She reached for the roll of condoms and tore one off. "But I want to."

"Try to keep your voice down, okay?" He grinned as she fumbled with the condom.

She laughed. "I wasn't the loud one the last time."

"Oh, that's right. Over a decade of keeping quiet when it comes to sexual activity finally came to a head."

"Does that feel okay?" She wrapped her hand around him and stroked him a few times.

"Feels good." He said in a strained voice.

She smiled and positioned herself over him. As she took him in, she closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth.

Peeta gently laid his hands on Katniss's thighs. "Hey, open your eyes."

She slowly opened them and looked down at him.

"We don't have to. I can deal with this on my own or we can do other things. This isn't how it has to be for us."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He rubbed her thighs. "There are other things I like doing."

She moved away. "I'm sorry."

"You never have to apologize for it." He kissed her softly. "We both know that there is more to sex than penis-in-vagina. And there has to be for you, for now especially. We'll work through it. Together. And if it never happens, then it never happens. We still know how to do plenty of other stuff."

"Can we not do this tonight?" She stroked his face. "Is that okay?"

"It's fine." He kissed her softly. "But let me go take care of this real fast before it gets in the way. And then I'll hold you all night."

"I can take care of it if you want me to." She said.

He shook his head. "I'm fine." He got up.

"No." She grabbed his waist and pulled him back on the bed. "I want to do this at least."

He got up on his knees. She kissed his stomach and his hips as she pumped her hand over him. He moaned.

"Sh." She scolded with a smile.

"It feels good." He gasped. "It feels real good."

"I'm glad." She quickened her pace and looked up at him as his breathing grew ragged. She knew what that meant.

Peeta gripped her shoulders tight as Katniss brought him through his orgasm. Then he collapsed on the bed sideways, panting heavily. "I love you."

She smiled. "I know."

He pulled her close and kissed her hard. "Give me a minute to get cleaned up." He rolled out of the bed.

"Get dressed when you come back." She found her clothes as he walked into the bathroom.

"You got it."

She finished dressing and then got into bed. She watched the bathroom. Peeta came out and found his pants on the floor. Then he climbed into the bed and pulled Katniss close.

She rolled over. "This week we talked about the night Caleb was conceived." She picked up Peeta's hand and started absentmindedly tracing every inch of it. "Cato and I had been fighting almost constantly. And he was really mad that day. I don't even know what set him off. There was no telling most of the time. He came in that night. It was late. He was drunk. Whatever I'd done to upset him that morning really made him even angrier after a few too many drinks." She put his hand down and looked away. "It was one of the worst. And then it was over. And he left. And he stayed gone for a couple weeks. I don't know where he was or who he was with. And I knew if I asked, I would be in trouble. So when he came back, my bruises finally healing, I acted like nothing happened. He didn't touch me again for a while. Drank until he passed out every night. And when I found out I was pregnant, he took off on me. And he didn't come back until the next day."

"The shoe incident." He kissed her temple.

"Hm?"

"You called Prim about your shoes that night and cried."

She looked at him and smiled. "I can't believe you remember that."

"I remember a lot of the things you've said, Katniss. The important things."

She rolled into him and kissed him softly.

"I want you to be my girlfriend, Katniss."

"I want to be your girlfriend, Peeta." She said with an unsteady voice.

He smiled and kissed her deeply. "I love you."

"I…" She smiled and took a deep breath. "I love you, too."

"You don't have to say it. You know, if you're feeling insecure about saying it."

She nodded. "I've showed you so many times. When I started out trusting you with Caleb. Every time I bought your cheese buns. When I asked you over. Kisses, hugs, caresses. I love you."

"And I love you. So where does this leave us?"

She poked his chest. "Boyfriend." She pointed to herself. "Girlfriend."

"And do we get to tell people?"

"Can we just tell the kids and leave at that for a while? I don't know if I'm ready for more."

"Okay. But I'm not into keeping secrets this big for long."

"We'll do that." She scratched his chest gently and then rolled back over. "Hold me."

"Gladly." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She smiled to herself and drifted off securely for the first time in too long.


	34. Chapter 34

_Author's note: LAST CHAPTER! The epilogue is right behind this. Please let me know what you think._

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter Thirty-Four

Katniss sat in her car after her latest session. It had been another tough one and she suddenly felt like being alone was best. But she'd promise Peeta she would come over for lunch. She typed out a text, " _Sorry, I need to just go home for the day._ "

She heard her phone going off as she drove. She waited until she was in her house stretched out on her bed before she looked. There were several texts from Peeta.

" _That's fine._ "

" _Will you call me at least? I want to hear your voice._ "

" _And call me if you need anything._ "

She looked at the screen for a while before she dialed his number. "Hi."

"Hey. Are you okay?" He asked gently.

She felt like she was under water. "I'm fine. Can Caleb stay with you tonight?"

"Me? Why not Prim and Gale?"

"Because you're my boyfriend. And because he needs a change of venue."

Peeta chuckled. "Okay. That makes sense."

"Is that really okay? He can spend the night? You can get him to school?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Are you going to be all right on your own?"

"I think so."

He paused. "Well, I'll come get some clothes for him after a while. Do I need to get him from the range?"

"Yes, please. I'll call Gale." She took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Peeta asked softly.

Katniss half hoped he'd come over and everything would be all right. But she knew that he wasn't a miracle cure for all her problems. And she just knew the second he walked through the door, she'd want him to go. "I'm sorry that I need to be alone this time."

"You'll need to be alone a lot. And I don't mind it. As long as you keep checking in so I know you're okay."

"I can do that." She paused. "I'm so tired, Peeta."

"I know. You rest. And I'll come check on you in a little while and get Caleb's things."

Katniss sent a text to Gale to let him know that Peeta would be along to pick up Caleb. Then she rolled over and melted into nothingness.

She registered on the back of her mind that Peeta came in and called her name. She couldn't respond. She felt him come in the room.

"Lunch?" He asked.

She shook her head and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"Well, I brought you some lasagna and cheese buns. I'll put it in your fridge if you get hungry." He kissed her temple. "I love you."

She mumbled. "Love you too."

He kissed her again. "I'll get some clothes for Caleb. Which is his toothbrush?"

"The purple one. His PJs are folded on the end of his bed."

"Okay." He squeezed her arm. "I'll come back and give you one more kiss."

She lay there and listened as he moved around her house. She got up and met him in Caleb's bedroom. "Thank you for this."

"It's fine. He'll be back with you tomorrow and you'll be okay."

"We'll see."

He cupped her cheek. "Don't shut us out. We all love you and we care. We're here when you need us."

She nodded. "Thank you. I just need today."

Peeta pressed a soft kiss to Katniss's lips and then stepped away. "I'll have him call you."

She nodded.

He finished gathering Caleb's things and even grabbed a stuffed bear off the bed. He kissed Katniss once more and then left.

She got back into her bed and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Peeta brought Caleb back the next afternoon after he picked the boy up from the range. She wasn't up to coaching another day.

She pulled her son close and asked, "Did you have fun with Peeta and Callie?"

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "Yes. But I missed you. Peeta said you weren't feeling well."

"I talked about some hard things with my talking doctor. And it made me really sad. So I needed time alone to heal."

"But you're better today?"

"A little better, yeah." She looked up at Peeta. "Thank you. Where's Callie?"

"She has a science thing she's working on with Finn and a couple other kids at the Odairs." He leaned close. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." She brushed a kiss over his lips. "But I still need space from you."

Peeta nodded. "I'll call you later." He kissed her again and stood. "I had fun, Caleb."

Caleb got up and gave him a hard hug. "I love you, Peeta."

"I love you, buddy." He leaned down and kissed the top of the boy's head. He kissed Katniss once more. "I love you. I do. You are very important to me, so don't you ever forget it."

After he left, Katniss threw together supper for her and Caleb. She barely ate. She stretched out on the couch and watched as Caleb did his homework on the coffee table. He got ready for bed on his own and she sat with him for a few minutes. She rubbed his back and combed her fingers through his hair. Then she went to her own bed and hoped she'd wake up refreshed. Or at least a little better.

* * *

For the next few weeks it was the same. She didn't ask Peeta to watch him again. In fact, she didn't really speak to Peeta. A text here and there, but no full conversations, just to let him know she was okay. She didn't want to burden him. It wasn't his problem. It was hers. She didn't even talk to Gale beyond the necessities of work.

He stopped her one Friday afternoon. "Baby shower this weekend. You're coming right?"

"I totally forgot." She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Your mom will be there, too. Just a heads-up."

Katniss nodded. "I'm not surprised. She was always better able to get along with Prim."

"Because you're so much like your dad."

"Did my mother tell you that?" She grumbled and went back to setting everything out.

Gale sighed. "You know she has trouble. She lost her husband, for crying out loud."

"Of course you defend her."

He grabbed her arm. "What is wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"It's something. You've had a hard relationship with your mom, but you've never been this angry about it."

"If she had been around more…" Katniss took a deep breath and let it out. "I blame her when I know I shouldn't. I'm working on it."

"Yeah, maybe if she hadn't worked so much, you would have had a better life in high school. But my mom was there. She never gave up on you. She cared for you."

"I know. And I know that if it wasn't for her it would have been worse. But my own mother didn't care." She hated when the tears came to her eyes. "I don't think I can do this today."

"It's fine."

"Doesn't sound fine."

Gale shrugged. "I can only carry you for so long, Katniss. This was your idea."

"I know. And I'm trying." She looked around. "Just let me take some time."

"Just go home, Katniss." He picked up a handful of bows and started distributing them.

"You have no idea what I'm going through, Gale."

"No, I don't. But I do know that we have a job to do. So you figure out how to compartmentalize or you don't even bother coming in."

She stormed out of the building and slammed into her car. She zoomed out of the driveway and drove at top speed. She knew she was being reckless, but she didn't care. She just needed to get away.

She slowly started cooling off. She knew she could be hotheaded and impulsive about some things. And she knew that Gale was right. There was a job to be done and she'd missed out on so much since her therapy started.

She turned around and drove back. She didn't say anything to Gale as they both got to work. It was a busy day trying to get as much in as possible and reinforce things. It was almost time for winter break and everyone would be off for the next several weeks.

Annie dropped Callie and Finn off for their lessons.

Katniss said, "They're both the last two for the day, so I can bring them back."

Annie gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you. Finnick is trying to get things set up for the shower tomorrow and Peeta's baking like a madman. And I am just exhausted." She rubbed her stomach. "This one is extremely nocturnal and won't let Mommy get sleep."

Katniss smiled. "Well, I guess you'll be used to it when she's born."

Annie nodded. "Yep, I guess so." She kissed the top of Finn's head. "Have fun. Get a couple bullseyes for me."

"I'll try."

Callie wrapped her arms around Katniss's waist. "Daddy said to give you that."

Katniss chuckled and hugged her back, kissing her forehead. "Well, this one's just for you. Now let's get to work. Both of you are improving so much. Let me see how well you've practiced all week."

Caleb watched attentively as both the older kids shot. They were good. He was impressed. Gale brought him around for his own chance to show off. He gently prodded Katniss into a competition among the three. They were all pretty well on the same track, but Callie ended up winning by three points.

The kids helped them pack up and Katniss pulled Gale aside. "I'm sorry about earlier. This has been a hard few months for me, but I'm working on things. And I'm going to keep working on things."

Gale smiled and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I understand, Catnip. You're always my best friend. And you can say anything to me and I'll still love you."

She smiled and hugged him back. "Thank you."

They finished getting everything put away and then Katniss loaded all the kids in her car. Finn got out at the front door and waved. Finnick came out and thanked Katniss.

"You coming tomorrow?" He asked.

"Definitely." She smiled. "Can't miss my own sister's baby shower."

"True. It was sweet of Peeta to organize this."

"I was supposed to help." She admitted. "I've been kind of out of it lately."

Finnick nodded. "Well, thanks for giving Annie a break. We both appreciate it." He stepped back and waved.

Katniss stopped outside the bakery. They could see Peeta inside still, setting some Christmas decorations up in the window. The kids both bolted out of the car and ran to the door. She followed at a much more sedate pace.

Peeta opened the door. "What are you doing here?" He demanded with a smile.

"I kind of live here." Callie said.

"You live in a bakery?" Peeta laughed and pulled her into a tight embrace. "How did you do today?"

"I beat Finn and Caleb." She announced.

"But I still did a good job." Caleb interjected.

"Both of them are very talented." Katniss said from behind them.

"Hi, Katniss." Peeta said with a smile.

"Hi, Peeta." She stepped around the kids and wrapped her arms around his waist. She breathed in the scent of flour and sugar and yeast and let out a deep breath. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." He kissed her cheek. "You guys want supper?"

"Can we go to the Chinese place?" Callie asked.

Caleb nodded. "That sounds yummy."

Peeta looked to Katniss. "What do you say?"

"Yes, that sounds good."

Peeta locked the bakery door and turned out the main light. The lights in the cases still glowed softly to light their way. Peeta took Katniss's hand and led everyone out the back. "I need to make sure all the ovens are off, so you guys go ahead out to the back and I'll meet you out there."

"I want to talk to you." Katniss said. "Kids, you go on."

Callie draped her arm over Caleb's shoulders and brought him out back. "Grandma and Grandpa got me a basketball goal for an early Christmas present." She told him as they went outside.

"I wanted—" Katniss started.

"Are you going—?" Peeta began at the same time.

Katniss chuckled. "You go."

"Are you going to the shower tomorrow?"

She nodded. "I am. And I wanted to apologize for leaving you to handle this on your own. We'd discussed doing it together."

He shrugged. "You're going through a lot. I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm getting there."

He went around the kitchen checking all the ovens.

"My mom will be there tomorrow. I want to introduce you to her has my boyfriend. And I want everyone else to know, too."

He nodded. He walked over. "I want to adopt Caleb."

She smiled. "You have to wait for that one. You have to be married to me."

"So marry me."

She shook her head. "I need you to give me a little more time."

He nodded. "I understand."

She gently took his face in her hands. "It would be great for you to officially be his dad. I would very much appreciate it. But now I need you to just be my amazingly patient boyfriend and his awesome unofficial dad. Okay?"

He nodded again. "Okay. I can do that."

"I'll add you to his pick-up list at school and put the bus that goes by here as another option. If you're okay with it, I'd like him to come spend some afternoons here. He gets so bored at the range."

He smiled and covered her mouth with his and lifted her off her feet as he happily kissed her. "I love you so much, Katniss."

"I love you, too."

They heard giggles and looked toward the window to see both kids watching them. Peeta kissed Katniss once more and then took her hand. "Let's go eat, I'm starving." He picked both of the kids up over his shoulders and headed out the back. Katniss stuck her finger in the back belt loop of his pants as she followed.

* * *

Katniss came through the door with a large box of cookies "Peeta is right behind me with the cake. And it is massive."

Peeta was just a couple steps behind with a tall cake box on his shoulder. He ducked through the door. "Where do we want it?"

Finnick helped him take the box through to the kitchen. "Katniss, your mom is already here. Apparently she stayed with Prim and Gale last night. Prim said to tell you before you just bumped into her."

"Where are they?"

He nodded toward the back of the house. "Annie is showing off the nursery."

Katniss nodded and sat the box of cookies down. "Thank you, Finnick." She looked toward the back hall and took a tentative step.

Peeta's hand came to rest on her lower back. He rubbed soothing circles and kissed her cheek. "You don't have to confront her right away. I need help with the rest of the stuff."

"Thank you." She walked out the front door and to the back of the car. In addition to cake and cookies, Peeta also took it upon himself to make fresh buns for the hamburgers Finnick was cooking for everyone. He had teased Katniss that he needed something to occupy his time and distract him from his sexual frustration. Katniss had helped him with that last bit the previous night.

As they walked inside, Katniss stopped. There was her mother, smiling at Annie and her arm wrapped around Prim's waist. Neither was surprising. Annie could make anyone smile. And Prim and Iris got along very well. Katniss often suspected Prim was Iris's favorite.

"Hi, Mom." Katniss said softly. She cleared her throat. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you, too, Katniss." Iris said.

Caleb came running in. "Mama, it's snowing!"

Katniss brushed flakes out of his hair. "Awesome. If it sticks, we'll make snowmen later. Come here." He led Caleb across the room. "This is your Grandma Iris. You met her when you were a baby."

He looked up at her. "You look like Aunt Prim." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

Iris kneeled in front of him. "You look like your grandfather. Your mother picked a good name."

"A very good name." Prim agreed.

"Have you guys picked one yet? Speaking of names." Peeta asked. He slipped an arm around Katniss's waist.

"We're thinking Ivy." Prim said. "Continue with the plant theme for another generation."

"Oh, that will be pretty." Peeta rubbed more of those circles into Katniss's back. It was almost hypnotic.

"Mom, this is my boyfriend Peeta." Katniss said.

"Did you just say 'boyfriend'?" Gale asked.

"Must be hearing things." Finnick said. "What was that, Katniss?"

She blushed. "You all heard it right."

Iris looked Peeta over. "You look familiar. What's your last name?"

"Mellark. I run a bakery. Maybe you've been by."

"Mellark?" She smiled. "I knew your father. We went to school together. A very nice man."

"He was." Peeta nodded. "I need to close up the car and see where Cal got to." He kissed Katniss's cheek and walked outside.

Iris watched him go and then looked back to Katniss. "Can we have a talk?"

"I think that's necessary." Katniss led her to the other room. "I'm sorry. I blame you for a lot of my problems. I know that it's not your fault that you wanted to provide for us and that you needed to bury yourself in your work to get over Dad and grieve. I get it."

Iris took her hands. "Prim and Gale told me everything. And I am so sorry for all you went through. I didn't know. I just thought it was a bad match. I didn't know what he did to you." He voice broke. "I promise, Katniss, we'll work on getting to know each other again. And I want to get to know Caleb. Just as much as Ivy."

"You should get to know Callie, too."

"Callie?"

"Peeta's daughter." She smiled. "The ultimate goal for us is to be married. But it will be a while. I'm still working on myself."

Iris wrapped Katniss in an embrace. "I'm so proud of the woman you've become."

"I am, too." Katniss hugged her back. "Can we keep the marriage goal between us? I don't need Finnick and Gale teasing us."

Iris smiled. "I promise."


	35. Epilogue

_Happy reading! (See bottom for notes)_

Epilogue

They married the next year in a small ceremony at the camp. But it was still several years until Katniss was okay with complete intimacy. It was fine with Peeta, though. He loved her and was perfectly satisfied with their activities in the bedroom. And he had a loving wife and two great kids and the bakery was as successful as ever.

After they first made love, they decided they wanted a baby. And it wasn't long before Peeta and Katniss made a more memorable conception night. And a few weeks later they cried together over the results. Happy tears, worried tears, nervous tears.

The kids, now fifteen and thirteen, were happy to welcome a baby into their lives. And Callie promised Katniss wouldn't overdo anything, especially with the new school year looming not too long before the due date.

"I'm going to have to get my license as soon as I turn sixteen." Callie said. "So in case Dad's at the bakery, I can bring Mom to the doctor."

"I own the bakery, Cal. I can leave it when I need to. Posey and Madge can take care of everything. They're good at it. And Posey does all the finances anyway."

Caleb said, "So how long until the baby is born?"

"Middle of September." Katniss said. "You okay with that?"

Caleb nodded. He smiled. "This is going to be awesome. And I can show the baby how to shoot a perfect bullseye."

Callie shoved his shoulder. "I'm better than you. _I'll_ be the one showing it how to shoot."

"And I'm better than the both of you." Katniss said, breaking up the fight before it started. The pair fought like they had been siblings all their lives and not just for six years. She sat between them. "I love you guys. I'm so glad you're okay with this."

"I'm glad you are, too, Mama." Caleb said. She'd told him everything about Cato, so he knew of her struggles.

And against Katniss's better judgement, he'd met the man who had given him life the previous year. He'd been kind enough, but they didn't click. Caleb was satisfied meeting him and said he never had to see the man again in his life. Peeta was his dad. And that was all that mattered to him.

"I have to get back to work." Peeta stood and headed for the door.

"Hey, Dad, can I come, too?" Caleb asked.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

"Don't I get a good-bye kiss?" Katniss called.

"Didn't that get you into this mess in the first place?" Caleb teased.

Peeta ruffled his hair as he walked back across the room. "Don't overdo it at the range today."

"I promise to take it easy." She stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He pulled her close and kissed her deeply as the kids groaned.

* * *

"Caleb, I need you to kick it into high gear." Katniss called as she put the last of their lunches together.

"Am I driving to school today, Mom?" Callie asked.

"Yeah, that's fine." She placed a hand on her stomach and sighed. "Calm down in there." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Caleb!"

The young man came in. "Jeez, I'm right here. Calm your tits."

"What did you just say to me?" Katniss gave him a stern look.

He held up his hands. "Sorry."

"Don't say that again." She put her hand on her stomach again. "Damnit." She groaned.

"What?" Callie asked. She stepped closer to Katniss. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Calliope, get the keys. Caleb, go get the bag from beside the door in my bedroom. I'm going to call your dad. You two aren't going to school just yet." She picked up her phone from the counter and called Peeta. It went to voicemail. "Damn!" She hung up and dialed the bakery. "Posey, it's Katniss. Get Peeta, please."

"I'm on it." The girl assured her.

"Caleb, the bag." Katniss said.

Caleb ran into the other room.

Peeta said, "Hey, babe, what's up?"

"The kids and I are headed to the hospital. I'm in labor."

"I'm headed out the door now." There was an edge of panic in his voice.

Callie and Celeb helped Katniss into the car. Her contractions were getting closer. She had hoped to be able to get the kids to school before this happened. Her water broke earlier that morning and the contractions started quickly after that.

She was wheeled into a room and examined. Caleb paced the room. Callie stood beside Katniss.

"Do I need to call anyone?" Callie asked.

Katniss gritted her teeth as another contraction took hold. "Prim and Gale. And Grandma. Both grandmas. Maybe you should text Finn so he's not worried when you aren't at school."

"Can I start with Finn?" She asked.

Katniss smiled and nodded. "Better not let your boyfriend freak." She chuckled.

"Mom." Callie scolded with a blush.

Peeta zoomed into the room. "Are you still pregnant?"

"For a little while, anyway." She rubbed her stomach. "Cal is calling everyone."

"She had to start with her boyfriend, though." Caleb teased, poking his sister's shoulder.

"Shut up, Caleb. Did you text your girlfriend?"

"Becca's not my girlfriend."

"Yeah, right. I walked in on you two kissing in your bedroom the other day."

"Gee, thanks, Cal. You said you wouldn't say anything."

Peeta held up his hands. "You mother is in labor. Cool it with the argument." He pointed at Caleb. "We'll talk about you kissing girls in your room later. Cal, who have you called so far?"

"Just got off the phone with Aunt Prim. About to call Grandma Iris."

Peeta handed his phone to Caleb. "Call Grandma Andi. And then both of you go to the lobby and try not to argue."

"Sure thing, Daddy-o!" Caleb said. He made the call to his grandmother as Peeta made his way over to the bed.

He dabbed at his wife's forehead with a cloth. "How you feeling?"

"Like hell, but I think it's going to be soon."

"Good." He kissed her hard on the mouth. "I love you."

"I love you."

The doctor came in and did a quick examination. He looked up. "I think it's time to have a baby. Let's get you ready, Katniss."

It was a rather fast delivery. Katniss and Peeta welcomed their baby boy just under an hour later. He weighed in at just under eight pounds and was eighteen inches long. Peeta kissed his forehead over and over as he walked around the room.

"We never agreed on a name." Katniss pointed out.

"We didn't. I liked Briar. The whole plant theme with your family."

She smiled and shook her head. "I don't know if I like it. At least not for a first name."

"We can talk about it more later. He's just our beautiful baby boy." He kissed the baby again. "And I love you so much."

"Peeta?"

"Katniss?" He sat down on the side of the bed and passed him over.

"Thank you. You're a fantastic father."

"And you're an amazing mother." He kissed her softly.

"Maybe he should have a name that starts with a C."

"He should." Peeta smoothed a hand over the soft fuzz of hair over the baby's hair. "My dad's middle name was Conrad."

"I like that."

"Conrad Briar."

Katniss chuckled. "You're determined, aren't you?"

"It's a nice, strong name. Conrad Briar Mellark."

"Conrad Briar _Everdeen_ Mellark." She corrected. "Caleb and Callie have both last names, so this guy should, too."

"Yes, ma'am." He brushed a kiss over her lips.

There was a knock on the door and it opened. Caleb poked his head around it. "Mama?"

She smiled. "Come in, baby. Meet your brother."

He slowly walked to the bed. Callie was just behind him.

"This is Conrad." She held him out. "This is your siblings, Caleb and Calliope."

"Oh, he's so cute!" Callie gushed. "Mom, when you start back at the range, I can watch him after school."

Katniss smiled. "We'll talk about that later." She looked at Caleb. "Want to hold him?"

Caleb chewed his lip a moment and then nodded. He held out his arms. Katniss placed him in his brother's arms and sat back. "Hey, you. You _are_ cute. Just like Cal said. We have the same nose."  
"You got that from your grandfather." Katniss rubbed Caleb's arm. "What do you think?"

"It's awesome." He turned to Callie and passed him off.

"Perfect addition to our family." Callie said as she bounced her baby brother in her arms. "I can't wait for you to meet everyone else."

"Is everyone here?" Peeta asked.

"Grandma Iris is in the middle of a shift, but she said she'd come over as soon as she's off. Grandma and Grandpa just got here a couple minutes ago. Aunt Prim was asleep when I called her. She said she'd come visit after a while. She worked all night. Uncle Gale said he'd bring Ivy and Rose after school. And Annie is outside with Pearl."

Katniss looked to Peeta. "I need rest. But you should bring him out there."

He nodded. "Okay." He pressed a series of kisses against her lips. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Wait." Caleb picked up Katniss's phone. "We need a family selfie." He opened up the camera and they all piled close on the bed. Peeta took the phone and snapped several pictures.

Peeta exchanged the phone for the baby and kissed his wife one more time. "Come on, kids, let's give Mom some space."

Katniss settled on the bed and watched as her loves left the room. She was so fortunate to have found a man as patient, accepting, and loving as Peeta. And her kids were lucky to have him as their dad.

End

* * *

 _Author's note: Thank you so much for all the love and for following this to the end. I want to say thank you to all the lovely readers who came forward to share their therapy experiences. I hope I did it justice._

 _I've been asked a few times if there is more Everlark coming from me and the answer is **YES**! But not quite yet. Have you read _**Art and Other Distractions _?_** _If you have, you know Haymitch and Effie had a bit_ _of an interesting meeting and courtship. I am working on that story in a prequel called_ **Grant Me Serenity** _. If you're interested in that, there are a few chapters up. If you haven't read AaOD, there's your next Everlark fix from me. Another suggestion is_ **Shattered Pieces** _. There are also a few Everlark one shots and the pair make appearances in my Gale/Annie fics_ **Promise I'm Worthy** _and_ **Burt Around the Edges** _._

 _As for new Everlark, after I'm done with GMS, I am going to write a fic in canon (a bit of a divergence, really) taking place between their kids. This one will definitely be a little more angsty and I look forward to writing it and sharing it with you._

 _Thank you again for all the love! You guys rock!_


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